Troop drawdown in Gambia

Forces from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will begin pulling out of Gambia on Sunday after intervening last month to ensure the orderly departure of former President Yahya Jammeh. The bloc is expected to reduce troop numbers from 7,000 to 500.

Saturday marked Adama Barrow’s official inauguration, bringing with it $239 million in funding from the European Union. Last week, the new president announced that, unlike his predecessor, he would not be pursuing Gambia’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court but rather would commit to the “promotion of human rights” under the court’s charter.

However, before Mr Barrow can realise his ambitions of making Gambia the “human rights capital of Africa”, he’ll need to drum up further international support to fill the country’s empty coffers. The ECOWAS troops that remain will be tasked with providing the stability necessary to pursue sustained economic activity.