Gambia's Barrow sworn in for second presidential term

Gambian President Adama Barrow was sworn in for a second term on Wednesday at ceremonies near the capital Banjul, an AFP journalist saw.

Barrow's first election in 2016 put an end to more than 20 years of Yahya Jammeh's rule over the tiny West African nation.

The former property developer was re-elected in December, winning 53 percent of the vote.

He was sworn in for a second five-year term at a stadium at Bakau on the outskirts of Banjul in ceremonies attended by foreign VIPs that climaxed with a 21-gun salute.

December's election was peaceful, and marked the first vote in the former British colony of two million people since Jammeh fled into exile in January 2017 after his surprise defeat at the ballot box.

Jammeh ruled for 22 years, presiding over a regime accused of a litany of abuses, including death squads and torture.

The United Democratic Party of leading opposition candidate Ousainou Darboe appealed the election results to the Supreme Court, alleging irregularities and corruption in Barrow's campaign. The plea was dismissed.