{"id":287081,"date":"2017-01-21T22:00:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-21T22:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=287081"},"modified":"2017-01-21T22:00:36","modified_gmt":"2017-01-21T22:00:36","slug":"ex-president-yahya-jammeh-leaves-the-gambia-after-losing-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/01\/ex-president-yahya-jammeh-leaves-the-gambia-after-losing-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-President Yahya Jammeh leaves The Gambia after losing election"},"content":{"rendered":"
Gambia’s former President Yahya Jammeh has left the country in the wake of elections that ousted him after 22 years in power.<\/p>\n
Mr Jammeh was defeated in December’s election by Adama Barrow but he went on to challenge the results.<\/p>\n
But two days after Mr Barrow was sworn in, Mr Jammeh left on a plane reportedly bound for Guinea.<\/p>\n
Mr Barrow told the BBC that he would be returning to his homeland “sooner than later”.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mr Barrow has been in neighbouring Senegal for days and was inaugurated as president in the Gambian embassy there on Thursday.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mr Jammeh’s decision to quit came after talks with the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania.<\/p>\n
Guinea’s President Alpha Conde is with Mr Jammeh and his wife on the plane that left Banjul late on Saturday.<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
The scene at Banjul airport, by BBC Africa correspondent Alastair Leithead<\/strong><\/p>\n Yahya Jammeh arrived at the airport amid a large convoy of vehicles and throngs of cheering supporters.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He climbed the steps to the plane, turned and kissed and waved a Koran at those assembled.<\/p>\n After 22 years in power, he left bound for Guinea where it’s believed he will stay before going on to another country.<\/p>\n Soldiers and other dignitaries were emotional as he left – many of them crying.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He’s the first president to peacefully hand over power in The Gambia since independence from Britain in 1965.<\/p>\n