ECOWAS force in Gambia to be reduced to 500 soldiers from 7,000

ECOWAS forces deployed to The Gambia during last month’s efforts to help President Adama Barrow take power will be cut to 500 from 7,000 this month.

Officials say the gradual scaling down would begin by next weekend.

The decision comes some weeks after long time President Yahyah Jammeh refused to step down after initially conceding defeat in earlier polls.

With interventions from regional leaders making less impact, Jammeh finally agreed to go into exile in Equatorial Guinea when the forces entered.

The remaining force of 500 will have a three-month mandate to protect Adama Barrow and the government machinery.

In the wake of a security crackdown, Barrow’s government has also announced that the notorious secret police formed by Jammeh, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), would be reformed, and would be given a new name.