Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, who once vowed to rule the tiny West African nation for "a billion years", said he had accepted his shock election defeat on Friday, 22 years after seizing power in a coup. Voting on Thursday against Jammeh was a rare show of defiance against a leader who has ruled by decree and who rights groups say crushes dissent by imprisoning and torturing opponents. "African heads of state if they are defeated should take the example of Jammeh by leaving office honorably," said teacher Lamin Joof, celebrating in Banjul. Barrow somehow managed to unite and galvanize Gambia's opposition for the first time since Jammeh took power in the country of 1.8 million people. Small protests in Banjul in April led to dozens of arrests, including that of the leader of the main UDP opposition party, Ousainu Darboe.

Source: Egypt Independent December 03, 2016 07:35 UTC