Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin told Citi News, the Gambian leader is also in Ghana to thank President Akufo-Addo for the role he played in ensuring that democracy was restored in his country.

There had been heightened tensions in The Gambia, after long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh, rejected the results of their December 1, 2016 election, weeks after he had conceded defeat to the opposition leader, Adama Barrow.

Yahya Jammeh eventually stepped down under pressure from ECOWAS and the AU.

Ghana contributed 208 soldiers to the ECOWAS mission with a mandate to keep the peace in The Gambia amidst the post-election impasse.

“He [Adama Barrow] is here basically to thank President Akufo-Addo for the intervention he made during the post-electoral impasse that ensued in The Gambia,” Mr. Arhin said.

“Ghana, together with Senegal and Nigeria sent troops to enforce the will of the Gambian people and that virtually resulted in him being inaugurated and installed as the President of Gambia.”

President Barrow is also here “to have bilateral discussions as to how the two countries can cooperate in terms of areas of trade and other bilateral relations that two counties may want to have under the leadership of the two presidents,” Mr. Arhin added.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The tweet comes a day after the newly elected President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, was formally sworn into office.

Mahama asked to intervene

Former President Mahama was asked to continue his mediation role in the effort to resolve the Gambian political impasse.

In an ECOWAS meeting held on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of President Akufo-Addo, Mr. Mahama was asked to continue to assist President Muhammadu Buhari as co-mediator in the Gambian issue.

In a telephone conversation, President Akufo Addo personally conveyed the ECOWAS decision to Mr. Mahama and expressed his confidence that with his help, President Buhari would be able to realize a peaceful resolution of The Gambian impasse.

Background

There has been heightened tension in that country after long time ruler Jammeh, decided to reject results of their December 1 election, weeks after he had conceded defeat to the opposition leader, Amadu Barrow.

West African Leaders earlier deployed a standby force to the Gambia after several efforts to compel Yahyeh Jammeh to step down proved futile.

The move came on the back of attempts by West African Leaders including a committee led by Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari and Ghana’s John Mahama, failed to convince Jahmmeh who has ruled the Gambia for 22 years to concede.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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It was the second time he had taken the oath after his formal inauguration was delayed by the reluctance of his predecessor to leave office.

“This is a victory for democracy,” he told a full stadium of his countrymen near the capital Banjul.

“Few people would have thought that I’d be standing here today,” he said.

He told the crowd that Gambian people now had the power to control their own destiny and that he was going to free political prisoners and improve press freedom.

“For 22 years, the Gambian people yearned to live in a country where our diverse tribes will be bridged by tolerance and our determination to work together for the common good,” he said. “One Gambia, one nation, one people.”

Mr Barrow, 51, talked of pressing economic challenges left over from the rule of his predecessor, Yahya Jammeh.

“We have inherited an economy in decline,” the new president said, and promised to attract investment in the technology sector, introduce free primary education and strengthen the judiciary.

“Gambia has changed forever. The people are fully conscious that they can put a government in office as well as remove it.”

The president’s first swearing-in was at a low-key event at the country’s embassy in Senegal last month, after the lengthy power struggle forced him into exile.

Crowds on Saturday had queued through the night to get a good spot inside the Independence Stadium.

Brass bands began playing ahead of the event and flags waved.

Mr Barrow is only the third president in the history of The Gambia, and the celebrations also mark 52 years of the west African country’s independence.

Mr Jammeh was voted out in December but he only agreed to step aside when regional powers sent in troops ready to remove him by force.

He has since fled to Equatorial Guinea.

The Gambia is now set to rejoin international institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the Commonwealth.

Mr Barrow, a successful property developer who has never held public office, defied the odds by winning the election.

Speaking to the BBC just before the election, he said that Gambians “had been suffering for 22 years” and were ready for change.

His predecessor had once told the BBC he would rule for a billion years, if necessary.

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Source: BBC

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His visit, the first to The Gambia by a British foreign secretary, comes weeks after long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh went into exile after losing elections.

Mr Jammeh took The Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013, calling it a neo-colonial institution.

New President Adama Barrow had promised a return to the 52-nation grouping.

Before leaving for Banjul, Mr Johnson said: “We will ensure this happens in the coming months.

“The strength of our partnerships show that Global Britain is growing in influence and activity around the world.”

The Commonwealth secretariat said it welcomed the news, saying the formal process of rejoining would have to be agreed by the 52 heads of government.

“When The Gambia left the Commonwealth in 2013, the heads of government… noted its decision with regret. We looked forward to the country’s eventual return because it was part of our very close knit family and our doors have always remained open,” a spokesman said.

Last week, the European Union promised The Gambia an aid package of nearly £65m ($81m) – almost three years after freezing its assistance to the West African nation.

Mr Barrow, who was sworn in last month, has also said The Gambia will reverse its move to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a statement on Monday, the government said it had written to UN chief Antonio Guterres to inform him of its decision “to discontinue the withdrawal notice”.

A former Gambian information minister had referred to the court last year as “an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans”.

The move is a blow to Africa’s anti-ICC lobby – which includes South Africa, Namibia and Burundi.

At the annual African Union summit held this month, leaders called for a mass walk-out from the ICC, but faced opposition from other countries, including Nigeria, Senegal and The Gambia.

‘Return from 22 years in exile’

The Foreign Office said as well as holding talks with Mr Barrow, Mr Johnson would visit the UK-funded Medical Research Council and speak to Chevening scholars and workers and employers in the tourism industry.

The West African state is a popular holiday destination for Britons. Thousands had to be evacuated last month because of security concerns when Mr Jammeh was refusing to hand over power after losing December’s elections.

Mr Barrow, whose swearing-in was held in neighbouring Senegal, is to be inaugurated as president in a ceremony at the national stadium on Saturday.

Several heads of state are expected to attend. Local dignitaries may include former Vice-President Alhagie Saihou Sabally, who local media said had returned to the country on Monday after 22 years in exile.

Mr Jammeh, who took power in coup in 1994, is now in exile in Equatorial Guinea after West African leaders deployed troops to The Gambia to ensure he left power.

Mr Johnson will go on to Ghana for talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday.

Referring to him and Mr Barrow, Mr Johnson said: “Their elections highlight the continuing strengthening of democracy in West Africa.”

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Source: BBC

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In his first press conference since taking over as leader, Barrow said he would soon be overhauling government institutions to make the administration more effective.

“The rule of the law, that will be the order of the day,” said Barrow, adding that The Gambia, where Muslims constitute 90% of the population, would no longer be an “Islamic republic”. The word “Islamic” was added to the country’s name in 2015.

Calling on the nation to unite, the 51-year-old former businessman promised to develop the country by implementing a series of democratic reforms.

“The field will be level for everybody, and in total reconciliation, if people reconcile, that will unite everybody, and we want to hold that line… My government will look at all areas and there will be a complete overhaul of the system,” said the new leader.

A political crisis gripped The Gambia after Barrow’s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, the autocratic leader who ruled the African nation for 22 years, refused to step down despite losing the polls in December 2016. Jammeh faces a series of human rights abuse allegations forcing him to go into exile as soon as Barrow took oath from neighbouring Senegal.

Barrow swore by a free media under his rule. He said the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would soon be reformed and renamed.

Barrow said he would not hesitate to seek other nations’ assistance if needed. He said: “In the army, if we need technical aid, we will contact countries that are willing to help us.”

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Source: IB Times

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President Barrow’s plane touched down at Banjul airport where jubilant crowds waited to welcome him. After landing, he tweeted: “I’m finally home #Gambia.” Mr Barrow, who has been in neighbouring Senegal, won elections in December. However a handover was stalled when Mr Jammeh, Gambia’s president of 22 years, refused to step aside.

He left for exile at the weekend after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.

Mr Barrow, dressed in white robes and a cap, stepped off the plane in Banjul as heavily armed troops from Senegal and Nigeria stood by. Overhead, a fighter jet from the West African force guaranteeing the new president’s security performed fly-pasts.

“I am a happy man today,” Mr Barrow told a reporter from the Associated Press in the crush at the airport, adding: “I think the bad part is finished now.”

The president said his priority was to appoint his cabinet and “then get the ball rolling”.

The BBC’s Umaru Fofana in Banjul said that thousands of people had tried to force their way into the airport to see Mr Barrow return and they burst into celebration as soon as his plane touched down.

President Barrow was driven from the airport in a convoy of cars and waved to the crowds who lined the route.

Supporter Ibrahima Gaye said Mr Barrow would be different from Mr Jammeh “in all aspects”.

“We have been living under dictatorship for 22 years. You can go home at night and sleep without worrying you will be arrested before daybreak,” he said.

President Barrow is staying at his own home while a security assessment is carried out at the official residence, State House.

Mr Barrow was sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in Senegal a week ago, but a public inauguration on home soil is planned soon, aides say. Several thousand West African soldiers remain in The Gambia amid reports that rogue pro-Jammeh elements are embedded in the country’s security forces. The West African force had threatened to drive Mr Jammeh from office if he did not agree to go.

The new president has asked for the force to remain in The Gambia for six months.

His spokesman Halifa Sallah said an inauguration was being planned for the national stadium in Banjul. “It will be an occasion to show strength. Everyone will be invited. The president will address his people,” he told Senegalese radio.

Mr Jammeh, who was a 29-year-old army lieutenant when he came to power in a 1994 coup, had refused to accept the results of the December election. After his departure, reports emerged that more than $11m (£8.8m) had disappeared from The Gambia’s state coffers.

However a presidential adviser said the police had been asked to investigate and would determine if anything was missing.

Mr Jammeh has not commented on the allegations. In other developments, parliament has cancelled the state of emergency declared by Mr Jammeh last week. It also revoked legislation that would have extended its life for a further 90 days.

Member of the Fula ethnic group, born in 1965 – the year of Gambian independence Reportedly worked as a security guard in the UK in the early 2000s while studying there

Returned home in 2006 to set up property business

Supports English Premier League football team Arsenal

Nominated as the candidate for coalition of seven opposition parties, promising greater respect for human rights

A devout Muslim who is reportedly married with two wives and five children

The UN envoy for West Africa, Mohamed ibn Chambas, has said the UN will help guarantee security in The Gambia.

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Source: BBC

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In a public announcement via his Facebook page, the President said he was scheduled to arrive in the country at 1600GMT.

Mr Barrow, who won the December 1 election held in the country fled to the Senegal over security concerns following the refusal of the country’s former leader, Yahya Jammeh not to step down.

Jammeh after conceding defeat and congratulating Barrow, withdrew his comments and said he had discovered some irregularities in the electoral process hence filed a motion to challenge the election results.

He subsequently declared a 90-day state of emergency in the country, backed by Parliament.

The decision forced ECOWAS troops, with the backing of the UN Security Council to invade the country while some ECOWAS heads of states negotiated with Jammeh to step down.

Although Jammeh eventually agreed to step down and left the Gambia on Sunday, January 22, 2017, Mr Barrow was forced to take oath of office at the Gambia embassy in Senegal on Thursday, January 19, 2017 in the presence of representatives of the African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), United Nations (UN) and Members of the diplomatic corps.

‘Millions looted from state coffers’
Exiled Gambian ruler Yahya Jammeh stole millions of dollars in his final weeks in power, plundering the state coffers and shipping out luxury vehicles by cargo plane, a special adviser for the new president said Sunday.

“The Gambia is in financial distress. The coffers are virtually empty. That is a state of fact,” Fatty said. “It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia.”

‘Barrow nominates Vice President’
Meanwhile, President Adama Barrow has appointed Fatoumata Tambajang as vice-president, Halifa Sallah his spokesman disclosed on Monday.

Tambajang once served as minister of health under former President Yahya Jammeh.

She is a prominent pro-democracy activist and was a driving force behind forming a coalition of opposition parties that rallied behind Barrow during the December 1 presidential election.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Tambajang once served as minister of health under former President Yahya Jammeh.

Tambajang is a prominent pro-democracy activist. She was the driving force behind forming a coalition of opposition parties that rallied behind Barrow during the December 1 presidential election.

Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, where he took his oath of office, will return to Gambia on Tuesday.

He is returning to the country after the exit of Jammeh who initially refused to cede power.

Jammeh has gone on exile, but Barrow rejected a proposal by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to protect Jammeh from prosecution.

Mankeur Ndiaye, Senegalese foreign minister, confirmed “no deal’’ had been negotiated with Jammeh, who ruled the small West African nation for 22 years with an iron fist.

Barrow has said he plans to establish a commission to investigate potential wrongdoing by Jammeh, who spent weeks trying to overturn the result of the presidential election.

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Source: The Cable

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Mr Jammeh was defeated in December’s election by Adama Barrow but he went on to challenge the results.

But two days after Mr Barrow was sworn in, Mr Jammeh left on a plane reportedly bound for Guinea.

Mr Barrow told the BBC that he would be returning to his homeland “sooner than later”.

In an interview with the BBC on Saturday, he said said he wanted to create a truth and reconciliation committee to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during Mr Jammeh’s time in office.

Mr Barrow has been in neighbouring Senegal for days and was inaugurated as president in the Gambian embassy there on Thursday.

Troops from several West African nations, including neighbouring Senegal, had been deployed in The Gambia, threatening to drive Mr Jammeh out of office if he did not agree to go.

Mr Jammeh’s decision to quit came after talks with the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania.

Guinea’s President Alpha Conde is with Mr Jammeh and his wife on the plane that left Banjul late on Saturday.

In an address on state television, Mr Jammeh – who had once said he would rule The Gambia for a billion years – said he would stand down and that it was “not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed”.

The scene at Banjul airport, by BBC Africa correspondent Alastair Leithead

Yahya Jammeh arrived at the airport amid a large convoy of vehicles and throngs of cheering supporters.

He stood on a small platform to hear ceremonial music performed by a military band and then walked down a long red carpet surrounded by dignitaries.

He climbed the steps to the plane, turned and kissed and waved a Koran at those assembled.

After 22 years in power, he left bound for Guinea where it’s believed he will stay before going on to another country.

Soldiers and other dignitaries were emotional as he left – many of them crying.

The details of the arrangements made – or promises offered to persuade him to give up power peacefully are not yet known, but there was the real threat of military action from regional states.

He’s the first president to peacefully hand over power in The Gambia since independence from Britain in 1965.

“I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation with infinite gratitude to all Gambians,” he said.

Mr Jammeh was given an ultimatum to leave office or be forced out by UN-backed troops, which expired at 16:00 GMT on Friday.

The deadline was set by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), a regional grouping backed by the United Nations.

The first signs of a breakthrough came on Friday when a senior aide to the new president told the BBC’s Umaru Fofana that Mr Jammeh had agreed to step down.

Mr Jammeh had at first accepted defeat in the election but then reversed his position.

He declared a 90-day state of emergency, blaming irregularities in the electoral process.

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Source: BBC

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It comes shortly after Mr Barrow took the oath of office at The Gambia’s embassy in the capital of Senegal.

He has been recognised internationally. But strongman Yahya Jammeh has refused to quit and is backed by parliament.

West African leaders have threatened to remove Mr Jammeh by force. The UN has backed their support for Mr Barrow.

The 15-member Security Council stressed on Thursday that this should be pursued “by political means first”.

Senegalese army spokesman Col Abdou Ndiaye was quoted by news agencies as saying the country’s troops entered The Gambia on Thursday afternoon.

Nigeria said earlier in the day that its “armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia”, AFP reports.

“They have the capacity to strike,” Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told the news agency.

After the swearing in ceremony, Adama Barrow ordered Gambian soldiers to remain in their barracks

West African military forces have made it clear they are ready to enforce a transfer of power in the country, a popular beach destination among European holidaymakers.

Mr Barrow took oath at the Gambian embassy in Dakar.

In his inauguration speech, he ordered all members of The Gambia’s armed forces to remain in their barracks.

“Those found illegally holding arms will be considered rebels,” he warned.

Western ambassadors to Senegal, the UN envoy for West Africa and officials from the regional bloc Ecowas (Economic Community of West African States) attended the ceremony, while hundreds of Gambian expatriates gathered outside the compound.

Meanwhile, Mr Jammeh’s term in office has been extended for three months by a two-thirds majority in parliament. Some experts say he still has a legitimate claim to be called the country’s president.

Gambian Information Minister Sidie Njie told the BBC on Thursday that Mr Jammeh would not leave his office.

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Source: BBC

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