Gambia releases new banknotes without Jammeh’s features

The central bank of The Gambia has released new banknotes without the features of  Yahya Jammeh, the country’s former ruler who is now in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

The new Gambian dalasi notes were presented by Bakary Jammeh, chairman of the country’s apex bank, to President Adama Barrow. 

The new notes now bear features considered to represent the country; species of different birds and historical sites.

The denominations that have since been released through commercial banks include 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 dalasi. 

#StateHouseToday

New Bank Notes Will Start Circulating Tomorrow – @BarrowPresident received a delegation from the Central Bank of #Gambia, headed by the Governor Bakary Jammeh, who was at the presidency to present to him new banknotes https://t.co/XGpc1Jjcji pic.twitter.com/mPcpbQ8RIt

— State House of The Gambia (@Presidency_GMB) August 5, 2019

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The apex bank had in 2018 said it was phasing out all copies of the dalasi which had Jammeh on them. 

“The currencies that has his heads on were printed in 2015 and if you check currencies in circulation from 2014 to 2015, there are those that do not have his head. So we can print those 2014 ones on which he does not have his head and get delivery in February (2018),” the bank chief had said.

“So Jammeh’s face is gradually phasing out because notes that come in here do not go out again. And the new stock we will print will take us the whole of 2018 without his head.”

“Then we can have time to redesign the entire currency with new security features.”

Jammeh, who held the country for two decades as a dictator, lost to Barrow in the 2016 presidential election.

A commission of enquiry is currently probing Jammeh’s years as ruler of the country.