Regional troops to remain in The Gambia

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has extended the mandate of its force deployed in The Gambia.

According to a final communiqué issued at a summit in Liberia, the troops will stay in the West African state for another one year.

The force was launched in January to force the former president Yahya Jammeh to cede power to his elected successor Adama Barrow.

Although Jammheh went into exile shortly after, the mandate of the troops had been extended by the ECOWAS, at Barrow’s request, for three months beginning on 21 February.

In recent days there have been tensions between the troops and part of the Gambian population.

On Saturday, a Gambian protestor was killed in clashes with the West African forces.

A group of people had protested earlier on in Jammeh’s home village of Kanilai over the presence of the troops in the area.

AFP