Gambian president Adama Barrow is beginning a West African tour, his first since he was sworn into office as successor to long serving ruler, Yahya Jammeh.
Local media sources in the country indicate that Barrow will be leaving Banjul on Wednesday evening, he will fly to Sierra Leone, Liberia and will round up the tour in Ghana.
“During the visit, which will be his fourth overseas travel since he assumed office in January, Mr Barrow will hold discussions with his fellow head of states aimed at strengthening trade, bilateral relations and other issues,” a local media portal reported.
Except for Nigeria, the President would have visited leaders who helped in averting a post-election crisis in the country as a result of the failure of Jammeh to concede loss in the December 1 polls.
The Sierra Leonean leader, Ernest Bai Koroma was part of the first Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) delegation that sought to mediate the impasse.
In Liberia he is expected to meet President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – who as head of ECOWAS was present all through the mediation meetings. The head of the mediation was Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the case of Ghana, Barrow will meet President Akufo-Addo, who was sworn in barely two weeks as Ghana’s President before Barrow took office. Akufo-Addo replaced John Mahama who was a co-mediator along with Buhari.
The Gambia averted a political crisis after the last presidential elections. Jammeh flipped on an earlier concession but was forced out by threat of ECOWAS force ousting him. He accepted last-minute mediation by Presidents of Guinea and Mauritania and flew out to Equatorial Guinea where he is now resident.
Source: africanews.com
