New Gambia President Adama Barrow to be inaugurated

Mr Barrow came to power after his predecessor reluctantly agreed to step aside

New Gambian President Adama Barrow is due to be formally inaugurated in the capital Banjul where celebrations will mark 52 years of the west African country's independence. 

Mr Barrow was sworn in last month at a ceremony at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal.
Long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh had refused to step down despite his electoral defeat.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony

Under pressure from regional powers, he went into exile in Equatorial Guinea. Adama Barrow is only the third president in the history of The Gambia.


He has promised a new dawn for the country, which was ruled with an iron fist by Yahya Jammeh.

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Mr Jammeh was voted out in December but he only agreed to step aside when regional powers sent in troops ready to remove him by force.

Many political prisoners have already been freed and The Gambia is set to rejoin international institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the Commonwealth.

BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says that thousands of people are expected to attend the ceremony at the main stadium in the capital Banjul.