TheCable

Adama Barrow, winner of the December 1 presidential election in Gambia, has been sworn in as the country’s president.

Sheriff Tambadou, president of the Gambian Bar Association, administered the oath of office on Barrow at his country’s embassy in Senegal.

Yahya Jammeh has refused to hand over power to Barrow. Though he initially accepted losing the election, he later made a U-turn, citing alleged irregularities.

The efforts of leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to make him respect the wish of his people, yielded no result.

Jammeh filed a petition to challenge the election at the supreme court, but the case was not heard because there were no enough judges to form a quorum.

He later declared a 90-day emergency and got the country’s parliament to extend his tenure by three months.

Senegal gave him until midnight of Wednesday to step down, but he refused.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who initiated a last minute effort to break the political deadlock, said Jammeh was adamant about hanging on to power..

Aziz flew in to the Gambian capital Banjul on Wednesday evening to meet Jammeh before flying on to Dakar airport for further discussions with Barrow and Senegal’s President Macky Sall.

“I am now less pessimistic [that Mr Jammeh] will work on a peaceful solution that is in the best interest for everyone,” Aziz said.

Botswana has announced that it no longer recognises the soldier turned politician as head of Gambia.