New leader gets inaugurated on Gambian soil

By Mustapha K. Darboe

BANJUL, Gambia

Gambia's new president Adama Barrow has been inaugurated on home soil after his swearing-in at the Gambian embassy in Senegal in January.

The 52-year old Gambian leader told thousands of supporters at the country’s Independence Stadium who showed up for both his inauguration and independence celebration that the country has “changed forever”.

“Gambia has changed forever... No government will ever be able to impose itself against the will of the Gambian people,” Barrow said.

Barrow promised reforms including the reviewing of the "draconian" media laws and establishment of a human rights commission as well as economic reforms.

In December, Gambians went to polls and the former property developer Barrow who had no prior experience in holding public office won with a light margin against strongman Yahya Jammeh.

However, Jammeh conceded defeat but later took a U-turn on his decision, claiming that the electoral process was tainted with “unacceptable irregularities”.

Concerned about his security, Barrow left the country and was inaugurated at Gambian embassy in neighboring Senegal on January 19 as President of Gambia.

A last minute attempt by the leaders Alpha Conde of Guinea and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania eventually persuaded Jammeh to step down and flee to Equatorial Guinea.

However, regional leaders who felt tested by Jammeh’s defiance have already deployed 7,000 troops comprising naval forces, air force and ground troops who are still in the country.

The leader of Senegal, Macky Sall, who played a veritable role in solving the country’s political impasse, said that Gambia “victory was a victory for democracy in Africa”.

Sall arrived in the country on Friday.

Gambia is surrounded by Senegal on all three sides and the neighbors played a leading role with Nigeria and Ghana in solving the political impasse.

“Gambia and Senegal are not just relations. We are much more than that. We are one family… We share one value, common history, common destiny,” Sall said.

The ceremony was attended by several regional leaders including Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Mauritania’s Ould Aziz.