President Barrow Returning Gambia To Peace

There is a better future awaiting the small West African country of Gambia, as it welcomes new President Adama Barrow. The former colony has Britain’s full support, and as the country begins it’s move forward following more than two decades of trails, the people of Gambia will finally see the much needed policy changes after the fleeing of former dictator Yahya Jammeh.

Under Jammeh’s reign, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1994, both policy and the people struggled.  Since 2013, Jammeh had pulled Gambia from the Commonwealth, claiming that Gambia was a “neo-colonial institution”, and a year later also withdrew Gambia from the International Criminal Court. This is irrespective of the thousands of people, who were either jailed and tortured or disappeared due to their criticizing of the country’s president. If this was not enough to disillusion a people, Jammeh claimed to possess a herbal cure for HIV, and proceeded to force-feed hallucinogenic potions to a village of a 1,000 people. Jammeh did gain minor support for establishing a tourism infrastructure, but it incomparable to the injustice he inflicted upon his people.

Citizen Sanna Camara returned to his country once President Barrow was inaugurated, after more than 2 years of exile under Jammeh. “The repression of the Jammeh era was brutal. This morning, when I was leaving home, my little son told me: ‘Are you going to leave again, Dad?’ You do not know what it means for me to be able to say that it will never happen again. The intelligence services made you disappear and you appeared dead or tortured, we all know someone who [it] happened to…” He was not the only one celebrating. “We need that man, I want him from the bottom of my heart – with Jammeh we could not speak, but now I’m happy! We’re happy!” exclaimed Sado Kalé, a supporter of President Barrow. He is not the only one celebrating the new administration, which was inaugurated on the 52nd anniversary of the country’s independence. In December, formal elections were held, where Barrow won and in which Jammeh accepted. But soon after a few days he changed his mind, claiming the election was corrupt. After this, Barrow fled to Senegal, where he would be unable to return to his country until after his inauguration in January.

One of the first steps was returning to the country to the Commonwealth. On Tuesday, Britain’s Foreign secretary announced Gambia’s return, according to the New York Times. “We are here to help. The United Kingdom has a close relation with Gambia,” stated Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Being a former colony and a popular destination spot for Britain’s tourists, Britain wants Gambia to succeed. But this success will not come easily. The country currently has a bankrupt economy, 45 percent youth unemployment, and is dominated by 85 percent living in poverty. Last week, the European Union announced the deliverance of an $80 million aid package for aid in resolving outstanding issues.

President Barrow is not only a symbol of peace for the people of Gambia, but also the people of the world. Barrow set an example for a peaceful transfer of power, even while facing high tensions from the former dictator. Meanwhile, in the face of all the outstanding Gambian struggles, the country is optimistic for President Barrrow’s administration.

 

 

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