By RFPosted on 27-08-2019Modified on 27-08-2019 at 20:56
Gambia's first president, Dawda Jawara, died on Tuesday, August 27 at the age of 95. His family confirmed his death this afternoon in his home in Fajara 15km from the capital Banjul. President Adama Barrow believes in a tweet that this is a "great loss for the country in particular and for humanity in general". Dawda Jawara was the father of the independence of The Gambia.
Dawda Jawara was the oldest president of an African state at the time of his dismissal in July 1994. He had then spent more than 24 years at the head of the Republic of The Gambia.
Before that, Dawada Jawara, born in 1924, had studied in Scotland. He returned to his country in the early 1950s as a veterinarian and made his political debut in 1960 in the Progressive People's Party.
Founder of the Republic of The Gambia
He has been Prime Minister for three years when The Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. He founded the Republic of The Gambia five years later and became its first president.
He benefited from the help of Senegal in the face of a coup d'etat organized in 1981 and founded the ephemeral confederation of Senegambia in 1982 with Senegalese President Abdou Diouf.
A 1994 military coup by Yahya Jammeh overthrew the democratic regime of Dawda Jawara. The deposed president then leaves his country for Senegal. He is celebrated and amnestied on his return to The Gambia in 2010.
Gambian President Adama Barrow spoke on Twitter. He believes in one that it is a " great loss for the country in particular and for humanity in general " and sent his condolences to the family of Dawda Jawara and the Gambian people.
It is with regret to hear the news of the president, Sir Dawda K. Jawara, who died at the age of 95 as an elderly Statesman.
His passing is indeed a great loss to the country in general. pic.twitter.com/hhMp2jWKFh
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