Gambians return home, businesses back to normal after Yahya Jammeh goes into exile
Over 45,000 Gambians that fled their home country to Senegal during the political crisis that saw Yahya Jammeh stay in power after the election of Adama Barrow in December elections have started returning home, according to the UN refugee agency,.
A number of Gambians left for the provinces and the neighbouring countries to seek sanctuary following the disputed December 1st presidential elections.
“We’ve been exile for about six days and we’ve been in worse for 22 years,” Ruben, who had just stepped off the ferry in Banjul told RFI “Breathe, smell it – freedom air, nothing beats it”
Many of the Gambians arriving by boat from Barra, on the other side of the River Gambia, had crossed the border to neighbouring Senegal.
“I’ve returned back because my country is stable because Ecowas soldiers, they’ve come to cover the population,” said David Mende, a 20-year-old student.
One remaining busload of people was waiting at Barra late on Monday, according to a senior official at the Banjul port. The ferry makes some seven trips to and from the capital each day.
Many of these returnees came back out of confidence in the security provided by the ECOWAS force and with high hopes for President Adama Barrow.
According to Gambia’s Daily Observer, popular the Serekunda market in Gambia’s capital, many shops have been open and traffic back to full swing.
Sources close to Gambia’s National Assembly house in Banjul have revealed to the Daily Observer that members of the parliament will convene a sitting today to reverse the 90-day state of public emergency declaration passed last week.
