Ajaratou Fatoumata Tambajang has been appointed as Vice President of The Republic of The Gambia.

Tambajang, a prominent pro-democracy activist was part of the opposition coalition that unseated long time ruler Yahya Jammeh.

She is touted as one of the main brains behind the formation of a coalition going into the December 1, 2016 polls. Her appointment was announced on Monday by Halifa Sallah, the spokesperson of President Adama Barrow at a Press Conference held in Banjul.

Born in on October 22, 1949 in Brikama, Gambia, the mother of eight was a former United Nations Development Program (UNDP) gender/development expert also served as a cabinet minister in the government of Yahya Jammeh. She was Minister of Health, Social Welfare and Women’s Affairs. </s> President Adama Barrow is planning to return to Gambia on Tuesday, now that West African troops have secured the country, Barrow’s spokesperson said on Monday. Barrow will return to the capital, Banjul, from neighbouring Senegal, where he sought refuge for security reasons, spokesperson Halifa Sallah said. Barrow also appointed Fatoumata Tambajang as vice president, said Sallah.

This post was syndicated from The NEWS. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Also, Like us on facebook </s> Gambian president, Adama Barrow will on Saturday be officially sworn in at the Independence Stadium in Banjul, the country’s capital.

The inauguration coincidentally falls on The Gambia’s 52nd Independence Day celebration.

US Department of State, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield is ecpected to be at the event.

Barrow had taken his first oath of office in Dakar, at the Gambian embassy in Senegal after former President Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office.

He was sworn-in by the head of The Gambian bar association.

This second oath will be administered by the new Chief Justice, Justice Hassan Jallow. </s> The Gambia's president, Adama Barrow, has named senior politician Fatoumata Tambajang as deputy leader, as regional troops continued security sweeps to prepare for his return to the country from neighbouring Senegal.

The announcement of Tambajang's appointment will be followed by the unveiling of the rest of Barrow's cabinet later on Tuesday, according to presidential spokesperson Halifa Sallah.

Tambajang, a former minister and United Nations Development Programme staffer, was the architect of an opposition coalition that helped Barrow defeat longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh in a December 1 presidential election.

She made headlines last month when she told The Guardian newspaper that Jammeh, who came to power in a 1994 coup, would be prosecuted for alleged crimes committed by his regime.

Following her comments, Jammeh, who had initially conceded defeat, announced he no longer recognised the result, triggering a protracted political crisis which ended when he flew into exile late on Saturday.

READ MORE: The Gambia - Ex-ruler Jammeh 'plundered coffers'

Barrow, who fled to Senegal earlier this month for security reasons, was sworn in as president on January 19 at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar.

His return date has not yet been fixed, and the appointment of his cabinet is aimed at filling a void created by his absence.

The armed forces have pledged loyalty to him, though troops from West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which entered the country last week to pressure Jammeh to step down, continued clearing the presidential compound in advance of Barrow's arrival.

They also took over a Republican Guard barracks training centre in Bakau, just outside the capital, Banjul.

On Sunday, a Barrow aide accused Jammeh of plundering millions of dollars from the state coffers in his final weeks in power before flying to Equatorial Guinea.

"Over two weeks, over 500 million dalasi ($11 million) were withdrawn" by Jammeh, Mai Fatty said in Dakar. "As we take over, the government of The Gambia is in financial distress."

Jammeh also took luxury cars he piled onto a Chadian cargo plane, Fatty said.

'Torture, killings'

In addition to the accusations surrounding Jammeh's wealth, sections of the security services under the ex-ruler personal control have been accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention during his rule, rights groups say.

A truth and reconciliation committee is Barrow's "preferred method" of dealing with grievances against the previous government, according to his spokesman, but many Gambians take the harder line of his new vice president.

Critics have also raised concerns over a statement issued by the UN, regional bloc ECOWAS and the African Union that seemed to offer Jammeh comfortable guarantees in return for his exit.

The statement said "no legislative measures" would be taken that against Jammeh or his family, noting that he could return when he pleased and that property "lawfully" belonging to him would not be seized. </s> Banjul. Gambian President Adama Barrow’s team announced Monday his vice-president would be a woman who has vowed to prosecute former leader Yahya Jammeh and take back assets she says were stolen from the nation.

The alleged plunder of some £11 million by Jammeh as he clung on to power in recent weeks has left the tiny African country in financial difficulty, a Barrow aide said. Barrow, who was sworn in as the new head of state on January 19 at his country’s embassy in neighbouring Senegal, has put off his return over fears for his safety.

As the nation waits, Barrow’s second-in-command was named as Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, who became a controversial figure after telling The Guardian newspaper Jammeh would be prosecuted for crimes committed by his regime.

Jammeh initially conceded defeat after the December 1 election, but the mercurial strongman announced he no longer recognised the result after Jallow-Tambajang’s comments, and after the election commission issued revised results which made Barrow’s win narrower, although still clear.

The timing of her appointment comes after an aide to Barrow has accused Jammeh of raiding state coffers during his final days in power.

“Over two weeks, over 500 million dalasi ($11 million) were withdrawn” by Jammeh, Mai Fatty said on Sunday in Dakar. “As we take over, the government of The Gambia is in financial distress.”

A development expert who previously worked of the United Nations, Jallow-Tambajang is often described as the woman who persuaded The Gambia’s divided opposition parties to club together and field a single candidate -- Barrow.

She has also argued that a national commission for asset recovery should be established to take back land and goods Jammeh is accused of seizing for his own gain. Under the threat of a regional military intervention, Jammeh chose exile in Equatorial Guinea, which is not party to the International Criminal Court, and left The Gambia on Saturday.

That means he cannot be extradited in the event he is charged with crimes against humanity or other serious offences.

A truth and reconciliation committee is Barrow’s “preferred method” of dealing with grievances against the regime, his spokesman has said, but many Gambians take the harder line of his new vice-president. Sections of the security services were under Jammeh’s personal control and are responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention, rights groups say. (AFP) </s> New Gambian President Adama Barrow is due to be formally inaugurated in the capital Banjul where celebrations will mark 52 years of the west African country’s independence.

Mr Barrow was sworn in last month at a ceremony at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal.

Long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh had refused to step down despite his electoral defeat.

Under pressure from regional powers, he went into exile in Equatorial Guinea.

Adama Barrow is only the third president in the history of The Gambia.

He has promised a new dawn for the country, which was ruled with an iron fist by Yahya Jammeh.

Mr Jammeh was voted out in December but he only agreed to step aside when regional powers sent in troops ready to remove him by force.

Many political prisoners have already been freed and The Gambia is set to rejoin international institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the Commonwealth.

BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says that thousands of people are expected to attend the ceremony at the main stadium in the capital Banjul. </s> Acting President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo has led the Presidents Of Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf to the inauguration ceremony for Gambia President, Adama Barrow.



Other high profile dignitaries across the African continent as well as other parts of the world that attended the ceremony include Presidents of Ivory coast, Alassane Ouattara, Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The new Gambian president Adama Barrow was ormally inaugurated today, February 18, at the Independence Stadium in the capital, Banjul.

Barrow was sworn-in by the new Chief Justice, Justice Hassan Jallow.

The official swearing-in of President Barrow has also been tied to The Gambia’s 52nd Independence Day celebration. </s> Adama Barrow has been sworn as President in Banjul, the Gambia’s capital.

The occasion was witnessed by thousands of people at the independence stadium.

It is the second time Mr Barrow is taking the oath of office.

The first time was at a very low-key event at the country’s embassy in Senegal, January, after a lengthy power struggle with the former President, Yahya Jammeh.

Mr Barrow is the third president in the history of the Gambia, and the celebration is also marking 52 years of the country’s independence.

Jammeh had refused to accept election results but finally left after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.

The former President eventually flew into exile, ending his 22 years in power. </s> BANJUL, Gambia – Gambia’s new President Adama Barrow will arrive in the country on Thursday, a week after he was sworn into office in neighboring Senegal, officials with the new government confirmed Wednesday.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press about the matter.

Gambians eagerly await Barrow, who has promised to reverse many of the actions of longtime leader Yahya Jammeh. Barrow defeated Jammeh in December elections that the ruling party challenged.

Jammeh finally flew into exile over the weekend after international pressure, ending a more than 22-year rule. He has been accused by rights groups and others of leading a government that suppressed opponents with detentions, beatings and killings.

A West African regional military force that was poised to oust Jammeh if diplomatic talks failed has been securing Gambia for Barrow’s arrival. He has requested that the force remain in Gambia for six months, but it is unclear whether heads of state with the regional bloc known as ECOWAS will approve a deployment of that length.

Barrow has been waiting in Senegal, where he took the oath of office at Gambia’s embassy amid fears for his safety.

He has been busy this week forming his Cabinet and has named a woman, Fatoumata Tabajang, as vice president. She has vowed to seek prosecution for Jammeh, who flew with family and close aides to Equatorial Guinea.

On Tuesday, Gambia’s lawmakers lifted the country’s state of emergency and revoked a three-month extension of Jammeh’s term, as the new government began dismantling his final attempts to cling to power.
Gambian President Adama Barrow names Fatoumata Tambajang as Vice-President of the Gambia.