President Kufuor Attends Gambian Prez's swearing-in

Banjul (Gambia) -- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday, made a three-hour stop over at the Gambian capital Banjul on his way home from the 25th Summit of the Authority of Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS held in Dakar, Senegal to witness the swearing-in of Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh for his second five- year term of office.
Other dignitaries who witnessed the ceremony, which was performed by the Chief Justice of Gambia, Mr. Justice Felix Michael Lartey, were President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, the out-going Chairman of ECOWAS and President of Mali, Alhpa Oumar Konare.
The rest were President Tijan Kabba of Sierra Leone, President Koumba Yalla of Guinea Bissau and representatives of the governments of Algeria, Libya, Guinea, Liberia and Iran.
President Kufuor and his entourage were met on arrival at the Banjul International Airport by President Jammeh, the two national anthems were played and President Kufuor inspected a guard of honour mounted by the Gambian army.
President Jammeh, 36, who arrived at the Banjul Independence Stadium in an immaculate white flowing "Agbada," accompanied by his wife, Zineb, received the instruments and symbols of authority, according to the Jola tradition which he adorned before he took the oath of office after which they were removed.
He came to power on July 22, 1994 after overthrowing President Dauda Jawara in a coup d'etat and became the Head of State and Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council.
President Jammeh who retired from the army on September 8, 1996, with the rank of a Colonel, was elected the first President of the Second Republic of the Gambia on September 27, 1996 and was sworn-in on October 18, 1996.
On October 19, this year, he was re-elected for a second term in general elections.