Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh; born May 25, 1965) is a Gambian politician who has been President of The Gambia since 1994. As a young army officer, he took power in a July 1994 military coup and was elected as President in 1996; he was re-elected in 2001, 2006, and 2011.

President Jammeh received a secondary school education in the Gambia, joined the Gambian National Army in 1986, was commissioned a Lieutenant in 1989, and in 1992 became commander of the Gambian Military Police.[citation needed] He received extensive military training in Neighboring Senegal and at United States Army School of the Americas.

Rise to power

On July 22, 1994, a group of young officers in the Gambian National Army seized power from President Dawda Jawara in a military coup by taking control of key facilities in the capital city, Banjul.[4] The coup took place without bloodshed and met with very little resistance.[4] The group identified itself as the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). Jammeh, who was 29 years old at the time, was the chairman of the AFPRC. The AFPRC then suspended the constitution, sealed the borders, and implemented a curfew. While Jammeh's new government justified the coup by decrying corruption and lack of democracy under the Jawara regime, army personnel had also been dissatisfied with their salaries, living conditions, and prospects for promotion.

Elections

Jammeh founded the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction as his political party. He was elected as president in September 1996. Foreign observers did not deem these elections free and fair. He was re-elected on October 18, 2001 with about 53% of the vote; this election was generally deemed free and fair by observers, despite some very serious shortcomings ranging from overt government intimidation of voters to technical innovations (such as raising the required deposit to stand for election by a factor of 25) to distort the process in favour of the incumbent regime.

A coup attempt against Jammeh was reported to have been thwarted on March 21, 2006; Jammeh, who was in Mauritania at the time, quickly returned home. Army chief of staff Col. Ndure Cham, the alleged leader of the plot, reportedly fled to neighboring Senegal, while other alleged conspirators were arrested, and were put on trial for treason. In April 2007, ten former officers accused of involvement were convicted and given prison sentences; four of them were sentenced to life in prison.

Jammeh ran for a third term in the presidential election held on September 22, 2006; the election was initially planned for October but was moved forward because of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.[citation needed] He was re-elected with 67.3% of the vote and was declared the winner of the election; the opposition candidate Ousainou Darboe finished second, as in 2001.

In November, 2011, Jammeh was again re-elected as president for a fourth term in office, reportedly receiving 72% of the popular vote.
[edit] Foreign relations
Main article: Foreign relations of the Gambia

Jammeh traveled to the United States to meet with Prince George's County, Maryland County Executive Jack Johnson in May 2004. While in the Washington, DC metro area, he delivered the commencement address to the St. Mary's College of Maryland graduating class of 2004. In the address he stressed a commitment to education since taking power in The Gambia.

In early December 2006, Jammeh made a three-day visit to Iran, where he met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; Ahmadinejad said that Iran would provide aid to assist in the development of The Gambia, and he and Jammeh spoke of deepening ties between the two countries.

In December 2007, he traveled to Taiwan with the objective of developing trade relations between the two countries.
Homosexuality

On May 15, 2008, Jammeh announced that his government would introduce legislation that would set rules against homosexuals that would be "stricter than those in Iran", and that he would "cut off the head" of any gay or lesbian person discovered in the country.[15] News reports indicated his government intended to have all homosexuals in the country killed.[15] In the speech given in Tallinding, Jammeh gave a "final ultimatum" to any gays or lesbians in The Gambia to leave the country.


In January 2007, Jammeh claimed he could cure HIV/AIDS and asthma with natural herbs. His claimed treatment program includes instructing patients to cease taking their anti-retroviral drugs. His claims have been criticized for promoting unscientific treatment that could have dangerous results, due to the belief that those discharged from his program cannot infect others. In December 2011, he restated during an interview that the alleged cure for HIV/AIDS was "going very well".

Fadzai Gwaradzimba, the country representative of the United Nations Development Programme in The Gambia, was told to leave the country after she expressed doubts about the claims and said the remedy might encourage risky behaviour.

In August 2007, Jammeh claimed to have developed a single dose herbal infusion that could treat high blood pressure.

Jammeh has also claimed to develop a treatment for infertility in women as part of what is called the President's Alternative Treatment Program (PATP).
Historical claims

According to the Daily Observer newspaper, Jammeh claimed on July 26, 2010, that the Gambia had played an important role in the aviation industry, specifically, "that the first Atlantic flight and the first flight from Eastern Europe landed in The Gambia."[citation needed] At the same time Jammeh also stated that "this country is one of the oldest and biggest countries in Africa that was reduced to a small snake by the British government who sold all our lands to the French.
Religion

President Jammeh, like the majority of Gambians,[3] is a practising Muslim.

In July 2010, Jammeh stressed that people should believe in God, saying that "If you don't believe in God, you can never be grateful to humanity and you are even below a pig.

BIOGRAPHY OF Yahya A.J.J. JAMMEH President of GAMBIA