New President Barrow returns home
BANJUL: Gambia’s President Adama Barrow finally returned home, solidifying his position as the country’s new commander-in-chief after a political crisis that sent the previous ruler into exile.
Mr Barrow arrived in Gambia at 4pm (11pm Thai time) on Thursday to an impromptu welcome, coalition spokesman Halifa Sallah said. A larger ceremony will take place at a later date, he said.
Gambians eagerly awaited Mr Barrow, who has promised to reverse many of the authoritarian policies of former leader Yahya Jammeh. Mr Barrow defeated Mr Jammeh in December elections, but the veteran leader did not want to cede power.
Mr Barrow was sworn into office on Jan 19 at the Gambian Embassy in Senegal because of security threats as Mr Jammeh clung to power.
Mr Jammeh left Gambia last weekend, bowing to international pressure that included a regional military force, ending a more than 22-year rule. The West African force that was poised to oust Mr Jammeh if diplomatic talks failed has been securing Gambia for Mr Barrow’s arrival.
Mr Barrow has requested the regional force stay for at least six months to assure his security. On Tuesday, Gambia’s lawmakers lifted the country’s state of emergency and revoked a three-month extension of Mr Jammeh’s term, as the new government began ruling.
Gambia, with a population of nearly 1.9 million people, has become a guiding light in West Africa, which is striving to establish stable democratic changes of power in the region. The world watched as Gambians showed they wanted change, supporting a coalition of opposition parties whose aim was to oust Mr Jammeh and put the country on a path toward greater democracy.
Mr Jammeh’s supporters wept as he boarded a plane for exile. He went to Equatorial Guinea, taking luxury cars and other riches amassed during his presidency and accompanied by trusted family and security guards.
When Mr Jammeh left, the streets in the capital, Banjul, exploded in celebration, with music blaring from speakers, people dancing in front of restaurants, cheering and honking car horns.
Mr Barrow’s months ahead will be crucial to building a country that can put a climate of fear behind it and work toward reconciliation. He has vowed to work toward greater freedoms and reforms to the security forces and the constitution.