The president of The Gambia, Adama Barrow has finally returned to his home country as he prepares to officially begin his presidency.
He has been seeking refuge in Senegal where he was inaugurated at The Gambian embassy in Dakar after the then incumbent, Yahya Jammeh refused to hand over power despite losing last year’s presidential elections.
Mr. Jammeh who is now gone into exile in Equatorial Guinea was forced to cede power after several mediation talks led by West African leaders.
Mr. Barrow’s plane touched down at Banjul airport on Thursday and was greeted by excited crowds were waiting to welcome him.
Aides to Mr. Barrow say a public inauguration of the president will now take place in The Gambia despite the swearing in that took place in Senegal.
I’m finally home. #Gambia
— Adama Barrow (@adama_barrow) January 26, 2017
President Barrow has already appealed to the ECOWAS troops currently in his country to stay for a further six months.
Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations’ most senior official in West Africa, told journalists in Senegal, that President Barrow “asked for the mission to remain for six months”.
Mr. Chambas said it’s now “up to (regional bloc) ECOWAS to decide”.
Source: Africafeeds.com
