The Gambia's President Adama Barrow has easily won re-election and defeated former dictator Yahya Jammeh, who now fled into exile. However, massive protest now rocks Gambia as opposition supporters want Barrow to step down.

Massive protest rocks Gambia as opposition want Barrow to step down

Gambia&#39;s Yahya Jammeh agreed&nbsp;to step down after 22 years in power and&nbsp;hand the reins to&nbsp;President Adama Barrow on Saturday.

Jammeh said in a statement broadcast on state television, &quot;I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation with infinite gratitude to all Gambians.

&quot;My decision today was not dictated by anything else than the supreme interest of you the Gambian people and our dear country,&quot; Jammeh said in the declaration.

&quot;At a time when we are witnessing trouble and fears in other parts of Africa and the world the peace and security of the Gambia is our collective heritage which we must jealously guard and defend,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Mauritania&#39;s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Guinea&#39;s Alpha Conde held several hours of talks with Jammeh in which they agreed he should step aside but not how and where he would live out his exile.

Troops from five African nations were stationed on the tiny nation&#39;s borders in the event the last-ditch talks fell through, as it was confirmed Conde would stay into Saturday to iron out remaining disagreements.

Jammeh has refused to recognise his defeat in presidential elections last month, and would be offered asylum in the country of his choice, Conde advisor Kiridi Bangoura said earlier in the day.

&quot;Jammeh has accepted he will leave power. The discussions revolve around where he will live in exile and the conditions around that,&quot; a Mauritanian source close to the delegation in Banjul told AFP.

A highly-placed Guinean source said the country of exile had to be far enough away to stop Jammeh interfering in his country&#39;s affairs.

The three men met at Jammeh&#39;s seat of power, State House, and halted to observe Friday prayers together at a nearby mosque.

The Guinean source mentioned Equatorial Guinea as a possible option, while diplomats discussed the possibility of Morocco.

Jammeh has rejected President Adama Barrow&#39;s December 1 election win, despite huge pressure from regional powers and the UN, sparking a major crisis and sending Gambians and tourists -- vital for the tiny country&#39;s economy -- fleeing.

Isatou Touray, a top official in Barrow&#39;s coalition told AFP there was &quot;no deal yet&quot; but added: &quot;I think he has to go, because he is compelled.&quot;

&#39;An ultimatum&#39;

Barrow, who was sworn in at The Gambia&#39;s embassy in Dakar on Thursday, remained in Senegal awaiting the outcome of the talks, with hopes of taking over from Jammeh as soon as his safety could be guaranteed.

A Banjul-based diplomatic source told AFP the final deal would be &quot;a joint statement between Barrow and Jammeh,&quot; but cautioned the mercurial strongman could &quot;quite easily&quot; change his mind.

That source spoke of a three-day grace period for Jammeh with foreign troops on standby until he definitively quits the country.

Barrow hailed a &quot;victory of the Gambian nation&quot; and demanded loyalty from his armed forces at his inauguration on Thursday.

An imminent military operation, dubbed operation &quot;Restore Democracy&quot;, was suspended late Thursday to allow the final push to convince Jammeh to leave after 22 years at the helm of the former British colony.

Shifting loyalties

As white flags reportedly flew from Gambian army posts in the countryside, sources suggested there was a gradual acceptance of Barrow, even among units known for loyalty to Jammeh.

A diplomatic source said a faction had &quot;switched sides&quot; among the elite Republican Guards who assure Jammeh&#39;s personal protection, following meetings among themselves at their Bakau barracks close to Banjul.

Gambia&#39;s army chief Ousman Badjie said foreign troops would be welcomed &quot;with a cup of tea&quot; rather than gunfire if they intervene to ensure Jammeh stands down.

&quot;Why should we fight?&quot;, said Badjie, a former Jammeh loyalist.

&quot;This is a political misunderstanding. There is no military solution to a political problem, let me tell you. We are not fools. I love my soldiers. I love the Gambian people. Nobody is going to be hurt here.&quot;

Soldiers were told by Barrow in his inauguration speech they would be considered rebel elements if they remained armed on the streets.

Cabinet dissolved

Police chief Yankuba Sonko and customs boss Momat Cham also swore allegiance to Barrow, a government source who asked not to be identified told AFP.

After a string of ministerial resignations this week, Jammeh however appeared determined to stand his ground to the last, announcing he was dissolving the government and taking over.

&quot;The President of the Republic of The Gambia Sheikh Professor Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh Babili Mansa has dissolved his cabinet today,&quot; a statement said. &quot;The office of the President oversees all ministries.

The uncertainty continued to push Gambians to flee the country and the United Nations refugee agency said around 45,000 had left so far, more than 75 percent of them children, mostly accompanied by women.

&quot;They are staying with family members, host families or in hotels. Some families are hosting up to 40 to 50 people and will soon need support as they may quickly run out of resources,&quot; a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report said.

(AFP)

The outgoing President declared his intent on state broadcaster however, his terms of exile remained uncertain

Gambia's Yahya Jammeh agreed to step down after 22 years in power and hand the reins to President Adama Barrow on Saturday. Jammeh said in a statement broadcast on state television, "I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation with infinite gratitude to all Gambians. "My decision today was not dictated by anything else than the supreme interest of you the Gambian people and our dear country," Jammeh said in the declaration. "At a time when we are witnessing trouble and fears in other parts of Africa and the world the peace and security of the Gambia is our collective heritage which we must jealously guard and defend," he added. Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Guinea's Alpha Conde held several hours of talks with Jammeh in which they agreed he should step aside but not how and where he would live out his exile. Troops from five African nations were stationed on the tiny nation's borders in the event the last-ditch talks fell through, as it was confirmed Conde would stay into Saturday to iron out remaining disagreements. Jammeh has refused to recognise his defeat in presidential elections last month, and would be offered asylum in the country of his choice, Conde advisor Kiridi Bangoura said earlier in the day. "Jammeh has accepted he will leave power. The discussions revolve around where he will live in exile and the conditions around that," a Mauritanian source close to the delegation in Banjul told AFP. A highly-placed Guinean source said the country of exile had to be far enough away to stop Jammeh interfering in his country's affairs. The three men met at Jammeh's seat of power, State House, and halted to observe Friday prayers together at a nearby mosque. The Guinean source mentioned Equatorial Guinea as a possible option, while diplomats discussed the possibility of Morocco. Jammeh has rejected President Adama Barrow's December 1 election win, despite huge pressure from regional powers and the UN, sparking a major crisis and sending Gambians and tourists -- vital for the tiny country's economy -- fleeing. Isatou Touray, a top official in Barrow's coalition told AFP there was "no deal yet" but added: "I think he has to go, because he is compelled." 'An ultimatum' Barrow, who was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar on Thursday, remained in Senegal awaiting the outcome of the talks, with hopes of taking over from Jammeh as soon as his safety could be guaranteed. A Banjul-based diplomatic source told AFP the final deal would be "a joint statement between Barrow and Jammeh," but cautioned the mercurial strongman could "quite easily" change his mind. That source spoke of a three-day grace period for Jammeh with foreign troops on standby until he definitively quits the country. Barrow hailed a "victory of the Gambian nation" and demanded loyalty from his armed forces at his inauguration on Thursday. An imminent military operation, dubbed operation "Restore Democracy", was suspended late Thursday to allow the final push to convince Jammeh to leave after 22 years at the helm of the former British colony. Shifting loyalties As white flags reportedly flew from Gambian army posts in the countryside, sources suggested there was a gradual acceptance of Barrow, even among units known for loyalty to Jammeh. A diplomatic source said a faction had "switched sides" among the elite Republican Guards who assure Jammeh's personal protection, following meetings among themselves at their Bakau barracks close to Banjul. Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie said foreign troops would be welcomed "with a cup of tea" rather than gunfire if they intervene to ensure Jammeh stands down. "Why should we fight?", said Badjie, a former Jammeh loyalist. "This is a political misunderstanding. There is no military solution to a political problem, let me tell you. We are not fools. I love my soldiers. I love the Gambian people. Nobody is going to be hurt here." Soldiers were told by Barrow in his inauguration speech they would be considered rebel elements if they remained armed on the streets. Cabinet dissolved Police chief Yankuba Sonko and customs boss Momat Cham also swore allegiance to Barrow, a government source who asked not to be identified told AFP. After a string of ministerial resignations this week, Jammeh however appeared determined to stand his ground to the last, announcing he was dissolving the government and taking over. "The President of the Republic of The Gambia Sheikh Professor Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh Babili Mansa has dissolved his cabinet today," a statement said. "The office of the President oversees all ministries. The uncertainty continued to push Gambians to flee the country and the United Nations refugee agency said around 45,000 had left so far, more than 75 percent of them children, mostly accompanied by women. "They are staying with family members, host families or in hotels. Some families are hosting up to 40 to 50 people and will soon need support as they may quickly run out of resources," a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report said. (AFP)

Gambia's Jammeh agrees to step down after 22 years

The Gambia&#39;s opposition coalition vowed Friday to ensure that president-elect Adama Barrow is sworn in in January, despite President Yahya Jammeh threatening to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down.

Barrow &quot;is confident that he has won an election and he is confident that there is no court on this earth that will deliver judgement to the contrary,&quot; opposition spokesman Halifa Sallah told reporters in the capital Banjul.

&quot;We will not speculate on what the court will do ... What we are telling the Gambian people is: &#39;Focus your mind on the fact that president-elect Adama Barrow won an election and he will be inaugurated in January 19,&quot; he added.

Jammeh, who has been in power for 22 years, stunned observers by initially accepting his defeat in the December 1 vote by opposition candidate Barrow, but then flip-flopped a week later, rejecting the results and filing a court challenge. His stance has stoked international concerns about the future of the tiny west African country, with the UN joining African leaders in calling for him to step down.

&quot;Unless the court decides the case, there will be no inauguration (of Barrow) on the 19 January,&quot; Jammeh said in a lengthy television address this week, referring to his petition to the Supreme Court to overturn the election result.

According to Sallah, Jammeh&#39;s statement showed he had no intention to relinquish power in January. He also recalled efforts by the west African bloc ECOWAS -- which have also come under fire by Jammeh -- to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

Leaders of ECOWAS -- including Senegal, which surrounds the landlocked country save its coastal border -- said at the weekend they would attend Barrow&#39;s inauguration and &quot;take all necessary actions to enforce the results&quot;, without spelling out what those measures might be.

Under Jammeh&#39;s long rule, The Gambia has remained crushingly poor but enjoyed relative stability -- though rights groups and media watchdogs accuse him of cultivating a climate of fear and crushing dissent.

(AFP)

President Yahya Jammeh has threatened to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down

The Gambia's opposition coalition vowed Friday to ensure that president-elect Adama Barrow is sworn in in January, despite President Yahya Jammeh threatening to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down. Barrow "is confident that he has won an election and he is confident that there is no court on this earth that will deliver judgement to the contrary," opposition spokesman Halifa Sallah told reporters in the capital Banjul. "We will not speculate on what the court will do ... What we are telling the Gambian people is: 'Focus your mind on the fact that president-elect Adama Barrow won an election and he will be inaugurated in January 19," he added. Jammeh, who has been in power for 22 years, stunned observers by initially accepting his defeat in the December 1 vote by opposition candidate Barrow, but then flip-flopped a week later, rejecting the results and filing a court challenge. His stance has stoked international concerns about the future of the tiny west African country, with the UN joining African leaders in calling for him to step down. "Unless the court decides the case, there will be no inauguration (of Barrow) on the 19 January," Jammeh said in a lengthy television address this week, referring to his petition to the Supreme Court to overturn the election result. According to Sallah, Jammeh's statement showed he had no intention to relinquish power in January. He also recalled efforts by the west African bloc ECOWAS -- which have also come under fire by Jammeh -- to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Leaders of ECOWAS -- including Senegal, which surrounds the landlocked country save its coastal border -- said at the weekend they would attend Barrow's inauguration and "take all necessary actions to enforce the results", without spelling out what those measures might be. Under Jammeh's long rule, The Gambia has remained crushingly poor but enjoyed relative stability -- though rights groups and media watchdogs accuse him of cultivating a climate of fear and crushing dissent. (AFP)

Gambia opposition says 'no court' can cancel Barrow's win

Gambia&rsquo;s opposition candidate Adama Barrow on Friday hailed a &ldquo;new Gambia&rdquo; after pulling off a surprising election victory, putting an end to the 22-year rule of Yahya Jammeh.

Jammeh conceded defeat on television, accepting that Gambians had &quot;decided&rdquo; that he &ldquo; should take the backseat&quot;.

Barrow, a property developer and political unknown till six months back, comfortably won Thursday&rsquo;s election with 45.54 per cent.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission, Jammeh took 36.66 per cent votes and third party candidate Mama Kandeh 17.80 per cent.

Gambians took to the streets to celebrate the win.

According to AFP, in Westfield, a district close to the capital, teenagers piled on top of cars, taking selfies and strumming guitars, while others waved flags coloured the grey of the opposition coalition.

In his first comments afterward, Barrow acknowledged the nation&rsquo;s huge shift.

&quot;It&rsquo;s time for work. It&rsquo;s a new Gambia,&quot; he said.

Barrow was chosen as the opposition leader by a group of political parties who have joined forces for the first time and won unprecedented popular support.

Turnout was around 65 per cent.

Addressing the public on Gambian television, Jammeh congratulated Barrow for his &quot;clear victory&quot;, adding: &quot;I wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the best.&quot;

&quot;I will never cheat or dispute the election because this is the most transparent, rig-proof elections in the whole world,&quot; he added, referring to The Gambia&rsquo;s unique system of voting with marbles dropped into coloured drums.

Barrow will now serve a three-year term at the head of a transition reform government.

The election made international headlines due to an internet blackout that sparked condemnation from rights groups and the United States.

A heavy deployment of security forces in Banjul earlier on Friday added to the nervousness over whether Jammeh would accept defeat, but AFP reports that by the end of the day officers were seen shaking hands with Barrow supporters.

&quot;Never before has power changed hands (in Gambia) through the ballot box,&quot; said US State Department spokesman John Kirby acknowledging the stunning result.&nbsp;

&quot;We encourage all Gambians to respect the election results and the government of Gambia to respect the rights of citizens to freely assemble as they respond to the results.&quot;

At his final campaign rally, Jammeh had warned that protests over the election result would not be tolerated, saying The Gambia &quot;does not allow&quot; demonstrations.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Property developer and political unknown Adama Barrow won the election on Thursday putting an end to Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule

Gambia’s opposition candidate Adama Barrow on Friday hailed a “new Gambia” after pulling off a surprising election victory, putting an end to the 22-year rule of Yahya Jammeh. Jammeh conceded defeat on television, accepting that Gambians had "decided” that he “ should take the backseat". Barrow, a property developer and political unknown till six months back, comfortably won Thursday’s election with 45.54 per cent. According to the Independent Electoral Commission, Jammeh took 36.66 per cent votes and third party candidate Mama Kandeh 17.80 per cent. Gambians took to the streets to celebrate the win. According to AFP, in Westfield, a district close to the capital, teenagers piled on top of cars, taking selfies and strumming guitars, while others waved flags coloured the grey of the opposition coalition. In his first comments afterward, Barrow acknowledged the nation’s huge shift. "It’s time for work. It’s a new Gambia," he said. Barrow was chosen as the opposition leader by a group of political parties who have joined forces for the first time and won unprecedented popular support. Turnout was around 65 per cent. Addressing the public on Gambian television, Jammeh congratulated Barrow for his "clear victory", adding: "I wish him all the best and I wish all Gambians the best." "I will never cheat or dispute the election because this is the most transparent, rig-proof elections in the whole world," he added, referring to The Gambia’s unique system of voting with marbles dropped into coloured drums. Barrow will now serve a three-year term at the head of a transition reform government. The election made international headlines due to an internet blackout that sparked condemnation from rights groups and the United States. A heavy deployment of security forces in Banjul earlier on Friday added to the nervousness over whether Jammeh would accept defeat, but AFP reports that by the end of the day officers were seen shaking hands with Barrow supporters. "Never before has power changed hands (in Gambia) through the ballot box," said US State Department spokesman John Kirby acknowledging the stunning result. "We encourage all Gambians to respect the election results and the government of Gambia to respect the rights of citizens to freely assemble as they respond to the results." At his final campaign rally, Jammeh had warned that protests over the election result would not be tolerated, saying The Gambia "does not allow" demonstrations. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Surprise president-elect hails 'new Gambia'

barrow

Barrow, News on Barrow, stories on Barrow, articles on Barrow, Barrow stories at Wion, Barrow news, Barrow latest news