Yahya Jammeh, who occupied the office of president in Gambia for twenty two years, stepped down from office as troops from the west African regional bloc ECOWAS entered the country in support for Adama Barrow, who prevailed in elections held on December 1, 2016.  Initially Jammeh suggested that he would accept Adama Barrow’s victory in the elections, but subsequently attempted to backpedal and retain power, even at that risk of plunging the country into turmoil, over fears that he would face judicial prosecution over acts committed during his long tenure as president.

The intransigency of Jammeh and his refusal to accept the peaceful transfer of power angered many of the ECOWAS states, which created a coalition force to ensure that Barrow would take office.  The African Union and the United Nations Security Council both endorsed the ECOWAS plan for intervention.  On January 19, inside the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal, Adama Barrow was sworn into office as president of Gambia.  Negotiations, led by president Alpha Conde of Guinea and Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania resulted in Jammeh stepping down from office and departing from Gambia to Guinea, although his final destination is not public knowledge at this time.