The Gambia’s new president, Adama Barrow, will return to his country’s capital on Thursday afternoon, ending a prolonged political crisis sparked by disputed elections that forced him to flee to neighbouring Senegal. The announcement of Barrow’s return ended days of anxious waiting in the small former British colony, which was thrown into chaos when the long-time president, Yahya Jammeh, refused to step down after losing elections last month. A senior government official in Banjul said it was important for Barrow “to come to avoid the void”. Diplomats had urged Barrow to return quickly to curb the impact of the political crisis on the tourist-reliant economy, which is already in a fragile state. Barrow must also deal with latent ethnic tensions between Jammeh’s minority Jola people and the majority Mandinkas, to whom Barrow belongs.

Source: The Guardian January 26, 2017 11:11 UTC