Gambians hope for change under President Adama Barrow's administration

Yahya Jammeh, a man who has been accused of pillaging state coffers, lost elections in December but refused to step down after ruling the country for 22 years.

Barrow returned from self-imposed exile on January 26 after he was forced take oath at the Gambian Embassy in neighbouring Senegal last week.
TRT World and Agencies

Barrow returned from self-imposed exile on January 26 after he was forced take oath at the Gambian Embassy in neighbouring Senegal last week.

Thousands of Gambians celebrated the new president Adama Barrow's return to Gambia who recently took oath in exile in Senegal almost two months after winning the elections.

Barrow returned to his country on Thursday after his long-ruling predecessor Yahya Jammeh sought asylum in Equatorial Guinea on Saturday. He left after West African nations started moving their troops inside the borders of the bloc's smallest state.

"In Jammeh's regime, we did not have real democracy, but in Barrow's regime, we believe Gambians will be very happy to see democracy," said Baturu Yankubah, a resident of Banjul, Gambia's capital.

"Now Gambia is free. For 22 years we had hardship but now everybody is free and we know the economy will grow soon," said Omar Musa, who is unemployed.

Barrow has asked around 4,000 West African troops to remain in the country to maintain security.

TRT World's Christine Pirovolakis brings the latest on Gambia.

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