By Kebba Jeffang
The United States Government has announced on Monday, December 10 that it has put former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh and his family under public designation and therefore will not have access to US entry.
According to statement on its site, Jammeh was designated for corruption.
“Department is publicly designating former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, under the terms of Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2018, due to his involvement in significant corruption,” it stated.
Section 7031(c) according to the release provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign government officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.
“The law requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate such officials and their immediate family members.
“In addition to the designation of Yahya Jammeh, the Department is also publicly designating Jammeh’s spouse, Zineb Yahya Jammeh, his daughter, Mariam Jammeh, and his son, Muhammad Yahya Jammeh,” the statement carried.
The United States is committed to combating corruption, increasing respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and promoting good governance globally, it added.
The department of state assures that United States stands with the government of The Gambia, its people, and civil society in support of The Gambia’s transition towards greater transparency, accountability, and democratic governance, for the benefit of all Gambians.
