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1 1 (December 13, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govycl0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Cogrsioa Reiarl Servc December 13, 2018 The Gambia The Gambia (Gambia) is a small West African country almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. It underwent a historic transition of power after longtime authoritarian leader Yahya Jammeh unexpectedly lost an election in December 2016. A brief political crisis over Jammeh's refusal to step down was resolved when a regional military intervention forced Jammeh into exile, enabling President- elect Adama Barrow to take office. Barrow's inauguration contributed to a trend in West Africa in which heads of state are increasingly chosen through elections. A political outsider who once worked as a security guard in London, President Barrow has overseen a significant improvement in Gambia's governance and relations with the international community. Analysts warn that Gambia's progress remains fragile, and that moves to enact reforms and prosecute abuses committed under the former regime could stoke tensions, particularly within the military. U.S.-Gambia relations have warmed under President Barrow. Bilateral ties were previously strained due to U.S. criticism of Gambia's poor human rights record and the involvement of U.S. nationals in a failed coup attempt against Jammeh in 2014. The Trump Administration has pledged new health and governance aid-though Gambia remains a minor aid recipient within Africa-and has invoked legislation enacted by Congress to impose targeted sanctions on Jammeh and his immediate family members. ackground and the 2016 Elections President Barrow's surprise election transformed Gambian politics, which Jammeh had dominated since seizing power in a 1994 coup d'6tat. Jammeh won elections in 1996 and was re-elected three times-most recently in 2011, in polls that international observers described as neither free nor fair. An authoritarian and erratic leader, Jammeh sharply curtailed civil liberties and suppressed dissent. Restrictions and a crackdown on protests marred the electoral environment in advance of the 2016 polls. With top figures in prison, Gambia's fractious opposition ultimately coalesced around Barrow, a businessman and political newcomer. Barrow secured a narrow victory in polls that international bodies endorsed as fair and credible. Jammeh initially conceded defeat, but later rejected the results. Mediation by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) failed to resolve the impasse. In January 2017, troops from Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria entered Gambia under an ECOWAS mandate, at which point Jammeh agreed to resign and accept exile in Equatorial Guinea. Barrow, who had fled to Senegal out of concern for his personal safety, returned to take office in late January 2017. Figure I. Gambia at a Glance Size: sightly less than twice Population: 2.1 mtiilionT EG M I GDP Growth: 4.65% GDP Per Capita: S/0U5 Religions: Muslim 95.7',, Christian 4.2, othr0.2%T (201M) Median Age: 21 years Key Exports: peanut products, fish, cotton lint, palm kernels Key Imports: foodstuffS, manufactures, fuel, machinery and transport equipment Source: CRS. Data from CIA World Factbook and the International Monetary Fund (IMF); 2017 estimates unless otherwise indicated. The Barrow Administration Barrow's agenda has centered on improving governance and human rights conditions and mending ties with the international community. He has pardoned scores of political prisoners and appointed a committee to revise the constitution. He also has sought to repatriate wealth that Jammeh allegedly hid overseas. With support from ECOWAS, the European Union (EU), and U.N. agencies, Barrow also has embarked on security sector reforms intended to curb impunity and reduce the size of the army. In late 2018, Barrow launched a Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC), tasked with uncovering abuses by the former regime, awarding reparations, and recommending perpetrators for amnesty or prosecution. Justice and reform initiatives could stir discontent or unrest-particularly if they are construed as targeting the Jola ethnic group (roughly 10% of the population), which formed Jammeh's political base and constitutes a large proportion of the military. Police have arrested several members of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a tool of repression under the former regime, for the 2016 murder of an opposition figure. In 2017, a notorious former Interior Minister was arrested in Switzerland; he could face trial in Gambia or Switzerland. Gambian authorities also have brought charges against several military personnel, including soldiers accused of plotting to overthrow Barrow. Jammeh has eluded prosecution despite calls from civil society that he face trial. Barrow has reportedly expressed readiness to demand Jammeh's extradition, but officials in Equatorial Guinea, where he lives in exile, have pledged to reject such a request. Polling by Afrobarometer, a survey group, suggests that Gambians are divided about whether the government should pursue his prosecution. Jammeh could also face charges outside Gambia. In 2018, officials in Ghana agreed to consider new evidence concerning his alleged involvement in the 2005 killing of dozens of West African migrants, including Ghanaians, in Gambia.

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