Tag Archives: President Adama Barrow

On this day: Jan 26, 2017 – President Adama Barrow returns home to The Gambia, West Africa

January 26, 2021documentary, Jason Florio, multimedia, photography, photojournalism, reportage, The GambiaGambia Has Decided, human rights, New Gambia, Portraits4PositiveChange, President Adama Barrow, West Africa, Yahya Jammehjason florio Leave a comment

On this day Jan 26th, 2017

A triumphant, and momentous day for The Gambia, West Africa. Ten’s of thousands of euphoric Gambians lined the streets for miles – and miles! (an estimated over 100,000 Gambians flocked the main road) – to welcome home their new president, Adama Barrow. Due to potential security risks, Barrow had briefly exiled himself to neighbouring Senegal, where he was inaugurated at the Gambian Embassy, Dakar.

President Adama Barrow of The Republic of The Gambia, arrives back into the country after his self-imposed exile in Senegal © jason_florio-9706 — President Adama Barrow, returns home from exile, to The Gambia, West Africa © Jason Florio

#GambiaHasDecided

On December 1st, 2016, the Gambian people voted out their autocratic President Yahya Jammeh, after 22 years in power, and elected Adama Barrow as their new president. Jammeh conceded defeat, but a week later announced that he was annulling the election results and would not step down. A grassroots movement #GambiaHasDecided emerged in reaction.

Activists initially set up billboards with the slogan #GambiaHasDecided. The billboards were torn down by Jammeh loyalists. Not to be intimidated, the activists around the country turned to spray painting the slogan.

Gambian’s new president Adama Barrow, who was sworn into power in Dakar due to security concerns arrives back to Gambia, marking the first democratic transfer of power since 1965. Image ©Jason Florio

100's of 1000's of people welcome back their new President, Adama Barrow, of the Republic of The Gambia © Jason Florio — 100’s of 1000’s of people welcome back their new President, Adama Barrow, of the Republic of The Gambia © Jason Florio

‘Gambia – victims, and resisters’

Gambia's new president, Adama Barrow, at Banjul Airport, The Gambia, after being sworn in in Dakar, Senegal, for security reasons ©Jason Florio — Gambia’s new president, Adama Barrow, reception at Banjul Airport, The Gambia – returning from exile in Dakar, Senegal, where, for security reasons, he was sworn into office ©Jason Florio

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On this day: Jan 26, 2017 – President Adama Barrow returns home to The Gambia, West Africa

VIMEO: President, Adama Barrow, arrives back to The Gambia to a rapturous reception, Banjul Airport. iPhone footage ©Jason Florio

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CURRENT LOCATION: JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 2021

THE GAMBIA, WEST AFRICA

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Watch: ‘Project Trust – Security Sector Reform in The Gambia’

December 2, 2020documentary, multimediadocumentary, filmmaking, Gambia Has Decided, human rights, New Gambia, President Adama Barrow, Project Trust, security sector reform, short film, The Gambia, vimeo, West Africa, Yahya Jammehjason florio Leave a comment

A short film by Jason Florio, Helen Jones-Florio, Florio Films, and Andy Thompson, Gaia Media, for DAI, funded by the European Union

‘Project Trust – Security Sector Reform in The Gambia’ for DAI

Following the turmoil of a contested presidential election in 2016, The Gambia faced an uncertain future. While the population had high expectations for the political transition, a fragile economy along with the state’s poor record in providing basic public services threatened the country’s stability. Peaceful parliamentary elections in 2017 paved the way for policymakers to restore fiscal sustainability and lay the groundwork for the country’s economic recovery. The European Union has supported the democratic transition from the outset with an ambitious budget support program that includes complementary support measures implemented by a technical assistance team… DAI

A

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The Gambia: Filming *‘Project Trust’.* Image © Helen Jones-Florio

CURRENT LOCATION: DECEMBER 2020 – THE GAMBIA , WEST AFRICA

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The Witch Hunts of 2009 – The Gambia. TRRC Digest Edition 10

April 30, 2020documentary, photography, photojournalism, The GambiaGambia Has Decided, New Gambia, people, Portraits4PositiveChange, portraitsforpositivechange, President Adama Barrow, victims, West Africajason florio Leave a comment

‘TRRC Digest Edition 10 is out! The 10th session focused on the witch-hunt campaign ordered by Yahya Jammeh against mostly elderly men and women accused of witchcraft in The Gambia. Read the testimonies here ‘ ANEKED (African Network Against Extrajudicial Killings & Enforced Disappearances)

The Witch Hunts of 2009, The Gambia. TRRC Digest Edition 10. Dodou Sanyang stands beside the bed of his late mother. Image © Jason Florio/Helen Jones-Florio

“Green Boys and magicians came around the village, singing, drumming, and dancing, and targeted NRP (UDP) opposition party members” Doudou Sanyang

The Witch Hunts of 2009 – The Gambia. Dodou Sanyang, in the room of his recently deceased mother, Naa Joni Sonko. She was one of over a thousand elderly people abducted on the order of the former president, Yahya Jammeh. Groups of Jammeh’s paramilitary troops along with his youth brigade, The Green Boys, and ‘magicians’ from Guinea, went from village to village as part of a nationwide hunt for witches.

The alleged witches were held for up to five days in secret locations and made to drink ‘Kubehjaro’, a hallucinogenic substance, and then forced to confess to witchcraft. Some were also severely beaten, and robbed by their captors. Some died at the detention sites, and others like Sanyang’s mother suffered years of illness before dying. Many in Sanyang’s village believe the elderly there were not targeted for witchcraft, but because the village had been an opposition stronghold – Essau, Northbank Division, The Gambia.

The Gambia - a female victim of the 2009 witch huntsTRRC Digest Edition #10 - Portraits © Jason Florio/Helen Jones-Florio, taken from the on-going 'Gambia - victims, and resisters' — The Witch Hunts of 2009, The Gambia – Portraits © Jason Florio/Helen Jones-Florio, taken from the on-going ‘Gambia – victims, and resisters’ series

Portrait of Sankung Balajo - victims of President Yahya Jammeh's witch hunts, The Gambia, in 2009 © Jason Florio — The Witch Hunts of 2009, The Gambia – Sankung Balajo, one of over one thousand elders abducted on the orders of then-President, Yahya Jammeh.. © Jason Florio/Helen Jones-Florio

“I was kept for five days. When they forced me to take the medicine (‘Kubehjaro’ a hallucinogenic substance), I could no longer stand up… I fell down on the ground… ” Sankung Balajo

See more of the portraits, used in the past and present TRRC Digest Editions, taken from the ‘Gambia – victims, and resisters’ on-going multimedia series – a collaboration between Jason Florio & Helen Jones-Florio

#Portraits4PositiveChange

Photography exhibition opening night at the National Centre for Arts and Culture, Banjul. Portraits ©Jason Florio and Helen Jones-Florio Gambia-victims, and resisters, Portraits to Remember — Opening night of ‘The Duty to Remember’ exhibition at the National Centre for Arts & Culture, Banjul, The Gambia. A collaboration with ANEKED. Portraits on display ©Jason Florio/Helen Jones-Florio. Exhibition Image ©Jason Florio

Current Location: May 2020 – on lockdown in the UK

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Fatou ‘Toufah’ Jallow Testifies Before the TRRC, The Gambia

November 1, 2019documentary, Jason Florio, photography, The Gambia#IAMTOUFAH, Gambia Has Decided, Jammeh2Justice, New Gambia, Portraits4PositiveChange, portraitsforpositivechange, President Adama Barrow, SGBV, victims, West Africajason florio Leave a comment

Fatou 'Toufah' Jallow testifies before the TRRC about being raped by ex-president Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia. Image © Jason Florio — Fatou ‘Toufah’ Jallow testifies before the TRRC, The Gambia. Image © Jason Florio

“The most powerful man in the Gambia, who am I for anybody to listen to, to believe me, and where do I say this, and when do I say it? What do I expect is going to happen?
This did not happen…this did not happen…this did not happen…BUT, that is what happened on the night Yahya Jammeh raped me, and how he did it” – Fatou ‘Toufah’ Jallow testifies before the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission, The Gambia