Senegalese President Macky Sall Thursday afternoon bade farewell to Gambia’s new President Adama Barrow who is returning to the country after almost two weeks stay in Dakar.
The two leaders shared words and hugged each other at the Leopold Sedat Senghore International Airports amidst high presence of Senegalese Cabinet ministers and foreign diplomats before Mr Barrow board the awaiting Senegalese Air Force plane.
President Barrow was sworn-in last week on January 19th at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, at a time when former President Yahya Jammeh remained defiant and occupied the State House refusing to hand over power.
Mr Barrow left the Gambia since January 13th, when he flew to Mali to attend the 27th Africa-France Partnership, Peace and Emergence Summit after the failed second attempt by ECOWAS mediators to convince former President Yahya Jammeh to accept defeat and hand over power peacefully.
From the Summit, President Barrow was diverted to Senegal at the request of the Chairwoman of the Authority of Heads of States of ECOWAS and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf based on security reason as his safety was paramount amidst the political impasse that engulfed the country.
Senegalese President Macky Sall responded favorably to the request of his Liberian counterpart and agreed to host President Barrow until his swearing-in day while ECOWAS continue its peaceful mediation efforts.
Meanwhile, after intense mediation, former President Yahya Jameh finally relinquished power and left the country to exile in Equatorial Guinea.
