Barrow names Jammeh’s ex-minister as vice-president

President Adama Barrow has appointed Fatoumata Tambajang as vice-president, Halifa Sallah, his spokesman, disclosed on Monday.

Tambajang once served as minister of health under former President Yahya Jammeh.

Tambajang is a prominent pro-democracy activist. She was the driving force behind forming a coalition of opposition parties that rallied behind Barrow during the December 1 presidential election.

Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, where he took his oath of office, will return to Gambia on Tuesday.

He is returning to the country after the exit of Jammeh who initially refused to cede power.

Jammeh has gone on exile, but Barrow rejected a proposal by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to protect Jammeh from prosecution.

Mankeur Ndiaye, Senegalese foreign minister, confirmed “no deal’’ had been negotiated with Jammeh, who ruled the small West African nation for 22 years with an iron fist.

Barrow has said he plans to establish a commission to investigate potential wrongdoing by Jammeh, who spent weeks trying to overturn the result of the presidential election.