After Jammeh defeat, Gambia's jubilant exiles seek route home.

Record ID: 76017

  • Title: After Jammeh defeat, Gambia's jubilant exiles seek route home.
  • Date: 7th December 2016
  • Summary: BANJUL, GAMBIA (DECEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHEERING AS GAMBIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS ARE RELEASED BY POLICE POLITICAL PRISONER OUSAINOU DARBOE, SENIOR MEMBER OF MAIN OPPOSITION UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY (UDP), LEAVING BUS VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS CHANTING "DARBOE, DARBOE" AND FILMING AND TAKING PHOTOS OF OPPOSITION OF LEADER OUSAINOU DARBOE WALKING OUT OF COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) OPPOSITION LEADER, OUSAINOU DARBOE'S WIFE MYMUNA, SAYING: "We have a new Gambia today. There will be freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and people will be free to practice any religion they want. Gambians have been tolerant for 22 years. Yahya Jammeh, it's clear to him today that the power belongs to the people." DAKAR, SENEGAL (DECEMBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXILED GAMBIAN EMBRIMA SANNEH AT BEACH NEAR HIS HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXILED GAMBIAN, EMBRIMA SANNEH SAYING: "It was all joy and dancing, but for me, I am a very emotional person, I cried a lot! I thought a lot of things. I thought about when I lost my job. I had a very good police career in my country. I have never been wanted or charged with a crime in the police. I have never done anything wrong. I lost my job. I left my family. I was forced into exile." VARIOUS OF STREET SCENES IN SANNEH'S NEIGHBOURHOOD (SOUNDBITE)(English) EXILED GAMBIAN, EMBRIMA SANNEH SAYING: "If I had not left the Gambia, maybe the winning of Barrow might have taken me out (of prison) or I might have been killed in prison because many people have died in prison and were poisoned to death. I would have been sentenced. I would have been locked up in prison." BANJUL, GAMBIA (DECEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING OUTSIDE GAMBIA PRESIDENT-ELECT ADAMA BARROW'S HOUSE VARIOUS OF BARROW GREETING SUPPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOURNALIST SAYING: "Do you have any concerns at all that the current president will not relinquish all of his power?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADAMA BARROW, GAMBIA PRESIDENT-ELECT, SAYING: "I have no concerns. It is the people who have taken the decision." (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOURNALIST SAYING: "And the loyalty of the army, you're sure of that?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADAMA BARROW, GAMBIA PRESIDENT-ELECT, SAYING: "I will discuss with them. This is Gambia. Gambia is more important than any of us, and they're here to serve the Gambian people." VARIOUS OF GAMBIA PRESIDENT YAHYA JAMMEH BILLBOARD IN STREET READING (English): "Happy 51st birthday Mr. President" PEOPLE TEARING DOWN JAMMEH BIRTHDAY BILLBOARD DAKAR, SENEGAL (DECEMBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXILED GAMBIAN, EMBRIMA SANNEH, SAYING: "Every family member will have to forgive Jammeh if we are talking about forgiving, but I don't think they can do that because it's not a crime against the president, it's not against me, so I don't think we can forgive him. He has to answer to the crime that he has committed just as he took people to court for crimes that he thinks they had committed. There should be a truth and reconciliation commission." STREET SCENES
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 2016 15:40
  • Keywords: Banjul Gambia Barrow Jammeh Dakar Senegal election exile
  • Location: BANJUL, GAMBIA AND DAKAR, SENEGAL
  • City: BANJUL, GAMBIA AND DAKAR, SENEGAL
  • Country: Gambia
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015BVWVVB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: There were scenes of jubilation and celebration as Gambia's high court released 12 political prisoners on Tuesday (December 07), raising hopes of an end to years of repression after long-ruling President Yahya Jammeh lost elections last week.
    A Gambian court freed a prominent lawyer and 18 other political prisoners on bail on Monday (December 5) pending an appeal of their jail term for "unlawful assembly," in a sign that President Yahya Jammeh's shock election defeat last week could end years of repression.
    Ousainou Darboe along with other senior members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) had been jailed for three years in July for taking part in a small protest near the capital Banjul.
    Darboe appeared thin in a long blue robe but grinned broadly as he was greeted by cheers and cries of "A new Gambia!" and "Darboe! Darboe!"
    Riot police attempted to control a large crowd of supporters outside the courtroom.
    President-elect Adama Barrow, 51, became leader of the UDP, the country's largest opposition party, in September. He succeeded Darboe after he was jailed following rallies calling for electoral reform.
    "We have a new Gambia today. There will be freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and people will be free to practice any religion they want. Gambians have been tolerant for 22 years. Yahya Jammeh, it's clear to him today that the power belongs to the people," said Darboe's wife Mymuna.
    Darboe's arrest helped galvanise opposition to Jammeh, breaking a climate of fear in the tiny West African country.
    The United States and the United Nations have called for all political prisoners in Gambia to be freed. Barrow has said he will free political prisoners.
    Back in Dakar Senegal, Gambians who fled Jammeh's autocratic rule spoke of their relief and joy after hearing the election results.
    Former police officer Ebrima Sanneh left for neighbouring Senegal in 2013 after losing his job for standing up to corruption, he said. He has no job or income and relies on family handouts to pay rent for the small apartment he shares with six others in the outskirts of the capital Dakar.
    Sanneh watched all night as the results of the election trickled through.
    "It was all joy and dancing, but for me, I am a very emotional person, I cried a lot! I thought a lot of things. I thought about when I lost my job. I had a very good police career in my country. I have never been wanted or charged with a crime in the police. I have never done anything wrong. I lost my job. I left my family. I was forced into exile," Sanneh said.
    Thousands of Gambians have fled Jammeh's iron-fisted 22-year rule for Europe, or sought work abroad as the economy sagged.
    Now, many are re-evaluating after businessman Barrow beat Jammeh in the Dec. 1 poll, promising to boost the economy and an end to repression.
    "If I had not left the Gambia, maybe the winning of Barrow might have taken me out (of prison) or I might have been killed in prison because many people have died in prison and were poisoned to death. I would have been sentenced. I would have been locked up in prison," said Sanneh.
    There may not be a rush to come back. Jobs at home are scarce and remittances make up more than a fifth of the GDP.
    Nevertheless, it is a jubilant turnaround for Gambian families torn apart by exile, and Barrow has promised to revive the economy.
    Back in Gambia's seaside capital of Banjul, the election result sparked days of wild celebrations and Barrow supporters gathered outside his house.
    Barrow told Reuters he would get to work once his cabinet was in place. When asked if he has concerns about Jammeh relinquishing power when the time comes or with the army, who has been loyal to Jammeh, Barrow replied:
    "I have no concerns. It is the people who have taken the decision," adding "I will discuss with them. This is Gambia. Gambia is more important than any of us, and they're here to serve the Gambian people."
    The outgoing president is currently in his residency at State House as Gambian law calls for a 60-day transition period.
    In a sign of growing confidence in the new political era, people tore down giant billboards wishing Jammeh "Happy 51st Birthday Mr. President" that had lined streets in Banjul. Jammeh's birthday was in May.
    Sanneh plans to make the six-hour drive home next month and will go straight to visit his three children who he has not seen in nearly four years. But he will only leave once Jammeh has handed over power, he said, and believes Jammeh should be held accountable for his crimes.
    "Every family member will have to forgive Jammeh if we are talking about forgiving, but I don't think they can do that because it's not a crime against the president, it's not against me, so I don't think we can forgive him. He has to answer to the crime that he has committed just as he took people to court for crimes that he thinks they had committed. There should be a truth and reconciliation commission," Sanneh said.
    The election result, and Jammeh's decision to accept it on a continent where veteran leaders rarely lose, took Gambians and international observers by surprise and sparked days of wild celebrations across the seaside capital Banjul.
    Barrow is due to be sworn in January, although political sources said a meeting scheduled for Tuesday (December 06) between him and Jammeh was cancelled.
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