Working man who pledged a new vision
President’s past inspires his sympathy with an impoverished population
THE announcement by Yahya Jammeh that he would step down brought to a close a reign that began in 1994 when he seized power in a coup. His government established a reputation for torturing and killing perceived opponents.
“I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation,” Jammeh said on state television, wearing a white robe and looking tired.
“All those who have supported me or were against me in this period, I implore them to put the supreme interest of our nation, the Gambia, above all partisan interest and endeavour to work together as one nation,” he said.
Jammeh made no mention of whether he would go into exile, but said that, after prayer, he was leaving power in the national interest. He was proud to have served the Gambian people and grateful there was no bloodshed during the political impasse.
He had little choice but to step down. About 7 000 soldiers from Nigeria and neighbouring Senegal entered Gambia late on Thursday, backed by tanks and warplanes, and were poised to enter the capital as his army provided no resistance.
Jammeh lost an election to Adama Barrow in December, sparking celebrations on the streets of Banjul, but, after initially conceding defeat, he said he would challenge the result in court.
In a bid to cling to power, he declared a state of emergency on Monday and dissolved the cabinet. The National Assembly extended his term for three months. More than half its members had resigned and 45 000 people fled to Senegal as refugees. He rose from nowhere, but Barrow — an Arsenal fan who was once a security guard in London — was elected on people’s hopes of delivering long-wanted change in the Gambia.
A soft-spoken, untried 51-year-old candidate who pulled off a shock win on December 1, Barrow’s unconventional route to the presidency has been overshadowed by a political crisis triggered by the man he narrowly defeated.
A former economic migrant, Barrow’s lack of political baggage endeared him to voters, in contrast to Jammeh, a longtime leader of the poor West African state seen as ruthless and self-serving.
Barrow — who suffered personal tragedy last Sunday when his eightyear-old son died after being bitten by dogs — has been sheltering in Senegal pending his inauguration.
A businessman who owns an estate agency, he was previously employed at RETURNED MIGRANT: Adama Barrow worked as a security guard in Britain Gambia’s largest property rental firm, and lived in Britain for three-and-a-half years when he was younger.
A husband to two wives and father of five until his son’s death, he is a devout Muslim and self-confessed workaholic.
“If you are a religious man, it always influences you,” he said in an interview last year.
Barrow was thrust into the limelight following the jailing of top officials of the United Democratic Party.
During the election campaign his face was plastered on car windows, brandished on campaign posters, and printed onto grey T-shirts popular among Gambian youth.
Banjul-based diplomats said his previous lack of a profile may have worked in his favour, allowing him to deliver a fresh message.
Having previously left his homeland to find work, Barrow identified with the draw of Europe for young, povertystricken Gambians fleeing in large numbers for the perilous journey across the Mediterranean.
“There is a crisis in the Gambia, that’s why everyone is taking the Back Way [migrant route],” Barrow said. “You hear the name Europe, you think it’s heaven. It’s never like that.”
Of the Gambia’s 1.99 million population, 60% is classed as living in poverty.
Barrow’s campaign benefited from social media and internet technology, which helped the opposition organise mobile rallies and avoid roadblocks during campaigning.
In a Christmas message, he said Gambians should be free of the threat of violence as “we enter a new year of hope”, alluding to Jammeh’s stubborn efforts to hang on to power. — AFP