THE PEOPLE CELEBRATE
New Gambian president sworn in on home soil
Bakau, Gambia — Thousands celebrated on Saturday as new Gambian President Adama Barrow retook his oath of office, a month after he was sworn in across the border in neighbouring Senegal during a tense power struggle. February 18 is also the anniversary of The Gambia’s independence from Britain, but many are referring to the day as the birth of a third republic following the ousting of Yahya Jammeh at the ballot box. The festivities began on Saturday morning at Independence Stadium in Bakau, west of the capital, and were attended by several African heads of state as well as high-ranking diplomats. The guest of honour was Senegalese President Macky Sall. Tens of thousands packed the venue, singing and dancing. Barrow told the crowd he would probe human rights abuses under Jammeh’s mercurial and despotic rule that spanned 22 years. "A human rights commission will be established without delay" to track people who were missing or had disappeared after being arrested, Barrow said. He also...
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