The Gambia no longer an Islamic Republic

• As Adama Barrow vow to restructure country’s intelligence agency

Gambia’s new President, Adama Barrow, has vowed to reform the country’s notorious intelligence agency and promised to ensure media freedom in the country.

Barrow, speaking at his first news conference since returning to take office on Thursday.

Barrow announced plans to rename the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a dreaded secret police accused by rights groups of forced disappearances and torture under the control of former leader Yahya Jammeh.

Barrow also said the country’s official name will no longer contain the word “Islamic”, which had been added by Jammeh in 2015.

The new president said The Gambia, whose population is 90 percent Muslim, with the rest Christian and animist, was a republic “not the Islamic republic”.

Jammeh, who ruled the small West African nation for 22 years caused a major political crisis by refusing to exit office after losing the December 1 presidential election to Barrow.