Various heads of state and high-level dignitaries joined thousands of Gambia citizens in the coastal town of Bakau, The Gambia, to witness the swearing-in of Adama Barrow for a second term.

Barrow won the December 4 presidential election with around 53 percent of the vote, with his nearest rival Ousainou Darboe garnering 28 percent.

Some of the leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony include Togo President Faure Gnassingbé, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Guinea Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari among others, according to reports.

Barrow won his first term in 2017 after springing a surprise against former long-time president Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the West African nation for 22 years.

Jammeh, who has been recommended for prosecution for murder, torture and rapes, fled the country after losing the vote.

After being declared the winner of the December 2021 election, President Barrow called on Gambians to unite in the interest of the country.

"I call on all Gambians, irrespective of your political divide, to put aside our political and other differences and come together as one people to work towards the development of our country," he said.