Biography of the Gambian
President
His Excellency
Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya
A.J.J. Jammeh
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 25th May 1965 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | Kanilai Village Foni Kansala District Western Division |
| MARITAL STATUS: | Married to Madam Zineb Yahya Jammeh |
| CHILDREN: | One Daughter and Son |
| PRIMARY EDUCATION | |
1972 - 1976 |
Kanilai Primary (Formerly St. Anthony's School) |
1976 - 1978 |
Saint Edwards Primary School Bwiam |
1978 |
Passed Common Entrance Examination and attained a Government Scholarship |
|
SECONDARY EDUCATION |
|
1978 -1983 |
Gambia High School |
1983 |
Passed General Certificate of Education (GCE 0' Level) with Credits in Geography, English, French, Biology and Physics. Also obtained passes in Chemistry and Oral English |
|
MILITARY CAREER: |
|
April 1 1984 |
Joined the former Gambia National Gendarmerie |
April 1 1986 |
Promoted from Private to Sergeant |
December 1987 |
Promoted to Cadet Officer |
September 1989 |
Commissioned |
|
UNITS SERVED - |
|
| August 1984 to April 1986 | Special Intervention Unit |
| April 1986 to December 1987 | Mobile Gendarmerie Special Guards Unit |
| December 1987 to August 1989 | Gendarmerie Training School (School of Presidential Escort) |
| January 1991 to June 1991 | Mobile Gendarmerie (as Officer Commanding) |
| June 1991 to August 1991 | Military Police Unit of The Gambia National Gendarmerie (as Officer Commanding) |
| August 1991 to July 1994 | Gambia National Army (Officer Commanding, GNA Military Police Yundum Barracks) |
| OVERSEAS TRAINING | |
| September 1993 - January 1994 | Attended Military Police Officers Basic Course (MPOBC)
at Port McClellan, Alabama, USA. Obtained a Diploma in Military Science (Military Operations) |
| PROMOTIONS: | |
| September 29, 1989 | Promoted to Second Lieutenant |
| February 1, 1992 | Promoted to Lieutenant |
| November 17 1994 | Promoted to the Rank of Captain along with other AFPRC Members |
| August 28, 1996 | Promoted to the Rank of Colonel |
| SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS: | |
| 1990 | Special Security Officer for Visiting Heads of State of the ECOWAS Summit at Kairaba Beach Hotel |
| August 1990 | Officer in-Charge of ECOWAS Peace Conference for Liberia at Kairaba Beach Hotel |
| 1993 | Special Officer In-Charge of close protection of visiting ECOMOG Field Commander |
| February 23 - 24 1992 | Officer In-Charge of close protection of Pope John Paul II and entourage |
| Officer In-Charge of VIP security in State functions including Heads of State | |
| HONOURS: | |
| November 1993 | Appointed Honorary Citizen of the State of Georgia, USA |
| January 27, 1994 | Appointed Honorary Lt. Col. ADC, Alabama State Military, USA |
| 1995 | Decorated with the highest Libyan Insignia -Grand Commander of The Order AL-FATAH |
| 1996 | Decorated with the highest Chinese Insignia -The Order of Brilliant Jade with Grand CORDON of The Republic of China |
| 1997 | Awarded the 1997 Pan- African Humanitarian Award by The Pan-African Foundation and The World Council |
| 1997 | Nominated Man of The Year by the American Biographical Institute in Raleigh,North Carolina, USA |
| 1998 | Awarded The Gold Record of Achievement for 1997by The American Biographical Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina,USA |
| September 1998 | Appointed Honorary Admiral, Alabama State Navy by the Governor of The State of Alabama |
| November 1998 | Awarded the Grand Order of Bravery by the Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi |
| December 1998 | Awarded the Islamic Worldwide "Grand Prix" by The Cheikhna Cheikh Saad Bouh Foundation of Dakar, Senegal |
| February 1999 | Awarded the Doctor of Civil Laws Degree from St.Mary's University, Halifax, Canada |
| March 1999 |
Appointed Deputy Governor of American Biographical Institute Research Association (ABIRA) North Carolina, United Stated of America |
| March 1999 | Awarded the 2000 Millennium Medal of Honour from the American Biographical Institute of the United States of America |
| March 1999 | Nominated Outstanding People of The 20th Century by the International Biographical Institute, Cambridge, England |
| April 1999 | Nominated 1999 Platinum Record for Exceptional Performance by the American Biographical Institute,raleigh, North Carolina,USA |
| April 1999 | Awarded the World Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Biographcal Institute,Raleigh, North Carolina, USA |
| September 1999 | Decorated with Libya's Highest Honour The African Medal by Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi |
| July 2000 | Decorated with Orders of The Distinction of Liberia |
| March 2001 | Decorated with Grand Croix dans l'Ordre National du Lion |
|
|
|
| OFFICES HELD | |
| July 22, 1994 | Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council and Head of State |
| September 8, 1996 | Retired from the Army |
| September 27, 1996 | Elected First President of The Second Republic of The Gambia |
| October 18, 1996 | Became President of The Republic of The Gambia |
| September 1997 to November 2000 |
Chairman of the Inter-states Committee for the Control of Drought in the Sahel (CILSS) (Elected during the 12th Conference of Heads of State and Government of CILSS held in The Gambia in September 1997) |
| November 2001 | Elected 1st Vice Chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) during its 9th Meeting of Heads of State and Government held in Doha, Qatar |
| Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of West African Monetary Zone 2005 | |
| HOBBIES | |
| Playing Tennis, Playing Soccer, Hunting in the Forests, Reading, Correspondence, Driving and Riding Motorcycles, Browsing the Internet, Watching Music Movies, Animal Rearing and Keenly following world events. |
|
| SPECIAL SKILLS | |
| Possesses extensive knowledge in traditional herbal therapy especially in the treatment of Asthma and Epilepsy. |