The Gambia's ex-ruler, Yahya Jammeh, plundered the state coffers in his final weeks in power, stealing millions of dollars and shipping out luxury vehicles by cargo plane, according to an aide to new president Adama Barrow. 
 
 Jammeh, who ruled the small West African country for 22 years, flew into exile late on Saturday to Equatorial Guinea. 
 
 He had refused to concede defeat in a December 1 election but eventually relinquished power after a delegation of West African leaders convinced him to step down, even as troops from neighbouring countries entered The Gambia. 
 
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 On Sunday, hundreds of Banjul residents cheered a military force by ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, as it entered the capital to provide security and allow Barrow, who has been in neighbouring Senegal for more than a week, to return and take power. 
 
 But amid growing controversy over the assurances offered to Jammeh to guarantee his departure, Barrow adviser Mai Fatty said the new administration had discovered that millions of dollars had recently been stolen. 
 
 
 
 "The coffers are largely empty," he told reporters in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. 
 
 
 
 "Over two weeks, over 500m dalasi ($11 million) were withdrawn" by Jammeh, he said. "As we take over, the government of The Gambia is in financial distress." 
 
 Fatty also said that a Chadian cargo plane had transported luxury goods out of the country on Jammeh's behalf, in his final hours in power, including an unknown number of vehicles. 
 
 Barrow's aide said officials at the Banjul airport have been ordered not to allow any of Jammeh's belongings to leave. 
 
 Fatty also said the president is eager to return to The Gambia "as soon as possible", warning, however, that "the state of security in The Gambia is still fragile." 
 
 'No legislative measures' 
 
 The regional military operation was first launched late on Thursday after Barrow was sworn in as president at Gambia's embassy in Senegal, but it was halted hours later to give Jammeh one last chance to leave peacefully. 
 
 His departure followed two days of negotiations led by Guinea President Alpha Conde and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, prompting speculation over what, if any, terms were agreed upon to convince him to step down. 
 
 "He wanted to stay in Gambia," Barrow told radio station RFM in Senegal. "We said we couldn't guarantee his security and said that he should leave." 
 
 Barrow, who says he plans to establish a commission to investigate alleged human rights abuses by Jammeh's regime, denied that the former ruler had been offered immunity from prosecution in exchange for leaving the country. 
 
 Critics have raised concerns over the wording of a statement issued by the United Nations, ECOWAS and the African Union that seemed to offer Jammeh comfortable guarantees for his future. 
 
 "No legislative measures" would be taken that would infringe the "dignity, security, safety and rights" of Jammeh or his family, it said, noting that property "lawfully" belonging to him would not be seized. 
 
 Equatorial Guinea is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court, meaning Jammeh would not be extradited in the event he was charged with crimes against humanity or other serious offences. 
 
 The declaration also said Jammeh's exile was "temporary" and that he reserved the right to return to the Gambia at the time of his choosing. 
 
 "The agreement essentially says there can be no prosecution against Jammeh, his family or his entourage; there will be no seizure of his assets, no witch-hunts, and he can be back to the country at any time, " Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from Dakar, said. 
 
 "It might sound like a good deal for Jammeh, but we have to bear in mind that this is a political document, not a legally binding one, so it still brings hopes for those wanting to prosecute Jammeh or those in the security services over alleged human rights violations." 
 
 In Banjul, hundreds of residents assembled outside the State House on Sunday, as ECOWAS soldiers moved in to secure the compound. 
 
 Cheering and singing, some sought to capture the moment for posterity, posing for photos with the Senegalese troops. 
 
 "We are free," food seller Isatou Toure, 35, told Reuters news agency. "Everyone is so happy that man is gone. We are happy to see (the soldiers). They protected us from Jammeh." 
 
 READ MORE: Exiled Gambians ponder return to troubled homeland 
 
 Senegalese army officials said the force, which also includes troops from Nigeria, Ghana and Mali, met no resistance as they advanced on Sunday. 
 
 Defence chief Ousmane Badjie said the military welcomed the arrival of the regional force "wholeheartedly." With proper orders, he said, he would open the doors to the notorious prisons where rights groups say many who have disappeared over the years may be kept. 
 
 "We are going to show Barrow, we are really armed forces with a difference, I swear to God," Badjie said. 
 
 Some of the 45,000 people who had fled the tiny country during the crisis began to return. The nation of 1.9 million has been a major source of migrants heading towards Europe because of the situation at home. ||||| BANJUL/DAKAR (Reuters) - Gambians celebrated in the streets on Sunday after a West African regional military force entered the capital city of Banjul and took control of the presidential palace, the symbolic seat of ex-ruler Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year authoritarian regime. 
 
 Jammeh, who refused to accept defeat to opposition challenger Adama Barrow in a December election, flew out of Banjul late on Saturday en route to Equatorial Guinea as the regional force was poised to remove him. 
 
 Hundreds of Banjul residents assembled outside State House as darkness fell after soldiers, who deployed on Sunday to secure the country, moved in to secure the compound. 
 
 Cheering and singing, some revelers sought to capture the moment for posterity, posing for photos with the Senegalese troops. 
 
 “We are free,” said food seller Isatou Toure, 35. “Everyone is so happy that man is gone. We are happy to see (the soldiers). They protected us from Jammeh.” 
 
 Senegalese army officials said the force, which also includes troops from Nigeria, Ghana and Mali, met no resistance as they advanced on Sunday. 
 
 But even amid the celebrations, troubling details of Jammeh’s departure began to emerge. 
 
 Speaking to radio station RFM in Senegal, where he is waiting to return to Gambia, Barrow said that, upon initial inspection, it appeared Jammeh had looted state resources. 
 
 “According to information we received, there is no money in the coffers,” he said. “It’s what we have been told, but the day we actually take office, we will clarify all of it.” 
 
 In a news conference later in the day, Barrow advisor Mai Ahmad Fatty said 500 million dalasis ($11.45 million) had been withdrawn by Jammeh in the past two weeks. 
 
 The regional military operation was first launched late on Thursday after Barrow was sworn in as president at Gambia’s embassy in neighboring Senegal, but it was halted hours later to give Jammeh one last chance to leave peacefully. 
 
 His departure followed two days of negotiations led by Guinea President Alpha Conde and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, prompting speculation over what, if any, terms were agreed upon to convince him to step down. 
 
 “He wanted to stay in Gambia,” Barrow said. “We said we couldn’t guarantee his security and said that he should leave.” 
 
 Barrow denied that Jammeh had been offered immunity from prosecution in exchange for leaving the country. 
 
 A Gambia military truck from Barra is seen on arrival at Banjul Port a day after President Yahya Jammeh departed Banjul, Gambia for exile January 22, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde 
 
 “EVERYONE IS FREE” 
 
 Earlier in the day, the African Union and United Nations published a document on behalf of these two organizations and regional bloc ECOWAS. 
 
 In it, they pledged, among other things, to protect Jammeh’s rights “as a citizen, a party leader and a former Head of State,” to prevent the seizure of property belonging to him and his allies, and to ensure he can eventually return to Gambia. 
 
 Barrow said the document had not been signed and did not constitute a binding agreement. He also said he planned to return to Gambia soon but did not say when. 
 
 Jammeh’s loss in the Dec. 1 poll and his initial acceptance of the result were celebrated across the tiny nation by Gambians grown weary of his increasingly authoritarian rule. He reversed his position a week later. 
 
 In a video clip posted on social media that a United Nations official confirmed was filmed shortly before his departure from Gambia, Jammeh thanked Conde, seen standing beside him, as a “true friend.” 
 
 “Allah has decided that this is the end my time,” he said. “When you are inflicted by something that you are not happy with, don’t move away from Allah, but thank Allah because he is testing you.” 
 
 Rights groups accuse Jammeh of jailing, torturing and killing his political opponents while acquiring a vast fortune, including luxury cars and an estate in the United States, as most of his people remained impoverished. 
 
 Slideshow (6 Images) 
 
 Thousands of Gambians sought asylum abroad over the years. An additional 45,000 people fled to Senegal amid growing fears of unrest in the wake of last month’s election, according to the United Nations. 
 
 Hundreds of Gambians carrying sacks, suitcases and cooking pots began returning by ferry from Senegal’s Casamance region on Sunday. 
 
 Hawa Jagne, 22, a cloth trader, hugged her sister Fama as she stepped off the boat. 
 
 “I’m so relieved to see her,” Jagne said. “Everyone is free. You can do whatever you want, because this is a democratic country. You can express yourself. No one can kill you.” ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Hundreds of people celebrated in Banjul as West African troops entered the presidential compound 
 
 More than $11m (£8.8m) is missing from The Gambia's state coffers following the departure of long-time leader Yahya Jammeh, an adviser to President Adama Barrow has alleged. 
 
 Mai Ahmad Fatty said financial experts were trying to evaluate the exact loss. 
 
 Luxury cars and other items were reportedly loaded on to a Chadian cargo plane as Mr Jammeh left the country. 
 
 But another adviser to President Barrow, Halifa Sallah, later cast doubt on the claims of theft. 
 
 He said the police had been asked to investigate and they would determine if anything was missing. He said the central bank had "stated with clarity" that it was "functioning normally", as were other banks. 
 
 Mr Jammeh, who flew into exile after 22 years in power, has not commented on the allegations. 
 
 He had refused to accept the election results but finally left The Gambia after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention. 
 
 Read more: 
 
 President Barrow remains in neighbouring Senegal and it is not clear when he will return. 
 
 However, West African troops entered the Gambian capital, Banjul, on Sunday to prepare for his arrival. 
 
 Cheering crowds gathered outside the State House to watch soldiers secure the building. 
 
 The Senegalese general leading the joint force from five African nations said they were controlling "strategic points to ensure the safety of the population and facilitate... Mr Barrow's assumption of his role". 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Jammeh flew out of The Gambia on Saturday after long talks with regional leaders 
 
 Is $11m a lot for The Gambia? 
 
 Mr Fatty told reporters in the Senegalese capital Dakar that The Gambia was in financial distress. 
 
 "The coffers are virtually empty," he said. "It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia." 
 
 He said Mr Jammeh had made off with nearly 500 million dalasis ($11.3m) in the past two weeks alone. 
 
 "That's a lot of money, considering that we spend about 200 million dalasis on required expenditure relating to payment of civil service and so forth," Mr Fatty told the BBC. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Adama Barrow, centre, says he intends to investigate allegations of human rights abuses during Mr Jammeh's time in office 
 
 Mr Fatty said officials at The Gambia's main airport had been told not to let any of Mr Jammeh's belongings leave the country. 
 
 However, two Rolls-Royces and a Bentley were flown out over the weekend, and 10 others were at the airport waiting to go, reports the BBC's Umaru Fofana from Banjul. 
 
 Reports said some of the former leader's goods were in Guinea where Mr Jammeh had stopped on his journey into exile. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Yahya Jammeh withdrew nearly 500m dalasis from the government in a two-week period, President Adama Barrow's adviser says 
 
 Gambia 'missing $11m' after Jammeh exile 
 
 So where is Mr Jammeh now? 
 
 Mr Jammeh is reported to now be in Equatorial Guinea, although authorities there have not confirmed it. 
 
 Image caption Mr Jammeh's name was engraved on the headrests of presidential vehicles 
 
 He is suspected to have business interests in the oil-rich state, and is likely to be protected by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. 
 
 The president has ruled the central African country since 1979, and is seen to be authoritarian, like Mr Jammeh. 
 
 Equatorial Guinea does not recognise the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has weak civil society and opposition groups, reducing the chances of the government coming under pressure to hand over Mr Jammeh to either the ICC or Mr Barrow's government for prosecution. 
 
 But could he be pursued? 
 
 The UN, African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) had issued a joint statement, promising to protect Mr Jammeh's rights "as a citizen, a party leader and a former Head of State". 
 
 They also gave an assurance that his "lawful" assets would not be seized, and his exile was "temporary". 
 
 However, Mr Fatty distanced Mr Barrow from such assurances. 
 
 "As far as we're concerned, it doesn't exist,'' he was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying. 
 
 Did Mr Jammeh commit human rights abuses? 
 
 The Gambian security forces, especially intelligence agents known as the Jungulers, were repeatedly accused of torturing opponents, detaining them without trial or killing them. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption The army chief says he is loyal to the new government 
 
 Campaign group Human Rights Watch, in a 2015 report, said torture methods included rape, near-suffocation with plastic bags and electric shocks. 
 
 One man was reportedly forced to drink cooking oil, while others had melted plastic bags dripped onto their skin, it said. 
 
 Mr Jammeh had also implemented tough measures against gay people. He called them "vermin" and threatened to slit their throats. 
 
 Mr Barrow has said he will establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate abuses. 
 
 Why is the president still in Senegal? 
 
 Ecowas commission chairman Marcel Alain de Souza said that part of the security forces needed to be "immobilised" and Mr Jammeh had also hired mercenaries during the stand-off, AP reports. 
 
 So, Mr Barrow is likely to return only when Ecowas thinks it is safe. 
 
 While army chief Ousman Badjie has pledged his loyalty to Mr Barrow, it is unclear whether the elite presidential guards support Mr Barrow. 
 
 Since Mr Jammeh's defeat, some members of the new governing coalition have feared the long-term leader would withdraw to his farm in his home village of Kanilai, near the border with southern Senegal, and launch a rebellion. 
 
 A top Gambian army commander, who is with the regional force, told the BBC that no heavy weapons were found at the presidential mansion. 
 
 There were concerns that weapons may have been hidden or taken to Kanilai for "future sinister use", the commander added.
– Defeated Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh flew into exile in Equatorial Guinea over the weekend, giving his country's political crisis a peaceful end but apparently taking much of the country's wealth with him. A spokesman for President Adama Barrow says it appears Jammeh, who ruled the West African nation for 22 years, looted the nation's coffers in his final weeks in power, leaving the country in "financial distress," the BBC reports. The Washington Post quotes a rep for new president Adama Barrow as alleging Jammeh stole $11.4 million over the last two weeks. Luxury cars and other items were seen being loaded onto a cargo plane the night Jammeh flew out of the country. Jammeh, who refused to accept the results of December's election until troops from other West African countries stepped in, left the country under what critics are calling an overly generous deal that promises "no seizure of his assets, no witch-hunts, and he can be back to the country at any time," Al Jazeera reports. Despite the apparent looting, people outside the State House in the capital, Banjul, celebrated and took selfies with Senegalese troops as they secured the area. "We are free," 35-year-old food seller Isatou Toure tells Reuters. "Everyone is so happy that man is gone."