The Gambia's government says former President Yaya Jammeh will be subjected to legal processes, including an investigation if or when he returns to the country.

Jammeh is implicated in grave human rights violations, including murder, torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence, by The Gambia's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). 

The Gambia's government made its position clear after the former President Jammeh announced his intention to return to the country and contest elections after nine years in exile.

In a statement, the government said it takes the findings of the TRRC with utmost seriousness, adding, "If and when Mr. Jammeh returns, robust legal processes will be activated in line with The Gambia's laws. This will include investigation, arrest, and prosecution, with a guarantee of due process, fair trial standards, and respect for the rights of all involved."

It also dismissed claims by the former President of the existence of an agreement promising him immunity upon accepting the election outcome in 2017.

"No such agreement exists," says the statement, noting that the only document was an unsigned joint declaration by the AU, ECOWAS, and UN.

The Gambia's government maintains that the declaration was a diplomatic effort for a peaceful transition and not a binding guarantee, nor did it place former President Jammeh beyond the reach of the law.

Jammeh ruled the Gambia for 22 years following a military coup in 1994, until December 2016, when he lost elections to the current President Adama Barrow.

He was then forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea after he refused to accept the outcome.