The 22 years in power of former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh came to an inglorious end.
Initially he surprised his critics by accepting defeat after 22 years in power, but then backtracked by announcing he would contest the result, only to backtrack again and leave the country.
Mr Jammeh departed on 21 January 2017 surrounded by cheering supporters and accompanying ceremonial music. He walked down a long red carpet surrounded by dignitaries before climbing the steps to the plane, waving to his admirers and saluting them with a Koran.
While soldiers, supporters and dignitaries despaired at his departure, many others in The Gambia are glad to see the end of what they considered a dictatorship, where there was little respect for human rights or freedom of speech
How he was persuaded to leave it not yet known. But the threat of military intervention from regional states was real enough.
He finally became the first president to peacefully hand over power in The Gambia since independence from Britain in 1965.
Source:-BBC
Initially he surprised his critics by accepting defeat after 22 years in power, but then backtracked by announcing he would contest the result, only to backtrack again and leave the country.
Mr Jammeh departed on 21 January 2017 surrounded by cheering supporters and accompanying ceremonial music. He walked down a long red carpet surrounded by dignitaries before climbing the steps to the plane, waving to his admirers and saluting them with a Koran.
While soldiers, supporters and dignitaries despaired at his departure, many others in The Gambia are glad to see the end of what they considered a dictatorship, where there was little respect for human rights or freedom of speech
How he was persuaded to leave it not yet known. But the threat of military intervention from regional states was real enough.
He finally became the first president to peacefully hand over power in The Gambia since independence from Britain in 1965.
Source:-BBC
