ADAMA Barrow, the newly sworn-in President of Gambia has said his predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, has agreed to quit.

Adamu Barrow, Gambia’s President taking oath of office on 19/01/2017.


Jammeh had in the last few days insisted on not relinquishing power to Barrow.
This led to the intervention of African forces under the command of the Economic Community of West African States, which had moved into Gambia on Thursday.



The troops, however, halted their moves when Jammeh offered to engage in further negotiation.

Barrow announced on Friday evening that Jammeh was set to quit.

Writing on Twitter on Friday, Barrow said Jammeh would also leave the country.

He tweeted: “I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today. #NewGambia.”



Barrow was sworn-in at Gambia’s embassy in Dakar in neighbouring Senegal on Thursday.



Red carpets were on Friday reportedly laid out at the airport in Gambia’s capital in what appeared to be preparations for a speech by Jammeh and a departure.

Also on Friday, Gambia’s chief of defence forces, Ousmane Badjie, pledged his allegiance to the country’s new president, a major shift as mediation continued to persuade defeated Jammeh to cede power.