PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW REMOVES "ISLAMIC" FROM GAMBIA'S NAME

The Gambia new  President Adama Barrow, has removed the ‘Islamic’ title from the country’s name.

According to Aljazeera, the president made this known at his first news conference since returning to take office on Thursday, January 26.

The country was renamed Islamic Republic of The Gambia by former President Yahya Jammeh on 11 December 2015.


As at the time of making the change declaration, Jammeh said it was designed to distance the country further from its colonial past.


According to Barrow, The Gambia, despite having a 90 percent Muslim population, with the rest Christian and animist, was a republic "not the Islamic republic,"


Recall that Yahya Jammeh, who was defeated by Adama Barrow in the December 1, 2016 presidential poll, finally left the country in the evening of Saturday, January 21, 2017 after 22 years of holding sway as the president of the tiny West African country.


Barrow on the other hand finally returned to Gambia from Senegal to take over the ruling the state by 4p.m. on Thursday, January 26.

From Naij

GAMBIANS CAME OUT IN THOUSANDS TO CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR NEW PRESIDENT

 Gambia's new President, Adama Barrow arrived back in his country from Dakar, Senegal on Thursday, after spending two weeks away due to political crises. A huge crowd of Gambian citizens  came out to celebrate his arrival. See more photos and watch a video, after the cut...


WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

MASS EXODUS IN GAMBIA....AS GAMBIA GOVERNMENT CALLS AFRICAN UNION "IRRESPONSIBLE AND MALICIOUS" !

 The government of The Gambia has reacted to the African Union Peace and Security Council Resolution on the Islamic Republic of The Gambia on the current political situation of the country.

Following the meeting in Addis Ababa on January 13th, African Union's Peace and Security Council
announced it will no longer recognize Yahya Jammeh as president of Gambia after January 19, the intended date for the inauguration of president-elect, Adama Barrow.

The council also warned of "serious consequences in the event that his action causes any crisis that could lead to political disorder, humanitarian and human rights disaster, including loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties."
I
n a statement release on Sunday evening, the Gambian government described the African Union’s resolution as irresponsible and malicious meant to annoy and aggravate the political situation in The Gambia.
“We condemned it in the strongest possible terms,"  the statement read.

Below is the full text:
"The Government of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia has noted with concern the resolution by the AU Peace and Security Council stating inter Alia that the Government of The Islamic Republic of The Gambia will no longer be recognised after the 19th January 2017. This resolution is irresponsible and malicious and only meant to annoy and aggravate the political situation in The Gambia and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
The AU Peace and Security Council does not have the mandate to bar member states and governments from The African Union. Any such resolution has to be approved by the authority of the heads of State of the African Union.
This resolution has not been approved and the resolution is therefore non-binding and of no effect

photo -bbc