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Gambia's President Jammeh gets extra title of 'bridge builder' | Gambia's President Jammeh gets extra title of 'bridge builder' |
(about 5 hours later) | |
The Gambia's long-serving President Yahya Jammeh has had the title of Babili Mansa added to his name. | The Gambia's long-serving President Yahya Jammeh has had the title of Babili Mansa added to his name. |
The Mandika-language phrase can be translated as "chief bridge builder" or "conqueror of rivers". | The Mandika-language phrase can be translated as "chief bridge builder" or "conqueror of rivers". |
A statement from the presidency said Mr Jammeh should now be known as "His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa". | A statement from the presidency said Mr Jammeh should now be known as "His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh Babili Mansa". |
He had taken the title once before, in 2014, only to drop it four months later, the Point newspaper reports. | He had taken the title once before, in 2014, only to drop it four months later, the Point newspaper reports. |
President Jammeh seized power in 1994 as a young army lieutenant and has won four widely criticised multi-party elections since then and faced down several coup attempts. | President Jammeh seized power in 1994 as a young army lieutenant and has won four widely criticised multi-party elections since then and faced down several coup attempts. |
He told the BBC in 2011 that he would rule for "one billion years... if Allah says so". | He told the BBC in 2011 that he would rule for "one billion years... if Allah says so". |
The BBC's Mamadou Moussa Ba says that since President Jammeh has been in power, The Gambia has been transformed with the building of numerous infrastructure projects, including bridges. | |
However, he says there is some frustration in Senegal that The Gambia seems reluctant to build a bridge over the River Gambia to link the southern Casamance region of Senegal to the capital, Dakar, as Senegal has long requested. | |
Instead, travellers have to queue for many hours for a ferry across the river. | |
Africa news updates | Africa news updates |