Jeffrey Smith, a human rights activist and founding director of Vanguard Africa, a US-based group which worked with the opposition coalition, said that if Mr Jammeh “can be defeated at the ballot box ... then anyone can”.
Will Gambia See Its First Ever Peaceful Transfer of Power? (NPR – December 2)
Inspired Voters Turn out to Defeat Jammeh, End 22-year Rule (The Africa Times – December 2)
Jeffrey Smith, executive director of Vanguard Africa, told Africa Times that he was “equally inspired by the energized coalition and terrified for their safety,” particularly as Gambians voted Thursday with Internet, electricity and international phone service cut off, and a heavy security presence at the polls.
Gambian President Said He Would Rule for a ‘Billion Years.’ He Just Lost Reelection (Washington Post – December 2)
“Gambians were tired of dictatorship, tired of being poor, tired of being a pariah in the region,” said Jeffrey Smith, founding director of Vanguard Africa, a nonprofit organization that has worked closely with the opposition. “It’s certainly a shot across the bow for entrenched, abusive governments across Africa.”
Gambia’s President Concedes Defeat After Election Loss (Associated Press – December 2)
Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh to Concede Defeat (International Business Times – December 2)
MEDIA ADVISORY: Vanguard Africa helps oust 22-year dictatorship
Vanguard Africa, an organization founded in 2016 to support reformist political leaders, has scored its first win. Victory will have resonance way beyond the borders of Gambia.
Today, Adama Barrow, the flag-bearer of Gambia’s first-ever political coalition, defeated Gambia's long-time President Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled the West African nation since seizing power by coup in 1994.
This campaign was the first for Vanguard Africa, a DC-based organization dedicated to supporting democratic underdogs and reformers with the intent of advancing good governance and respect for human rights. Vanguard Africa provides technical and strategic support to promising change agents, encourages unity and coalition building, and opens up new pathways to campaign funding.
Speaking about the momentous election in Gambia, Vanguard Africa’s founding director, Jeffrey Smith said:
"Today’s victory in the Gambia will have significant resonance well beyond the borders of the country. This is a huge achievement with positive ramifications for the entire region, providing a much-needed boost to pro-democracy movements across the African continent, as well as to Vanguard Africa’s mission of promoting democratic accountability and ethical leadership."
"We are supremely proud of the role we played in this stunning victory. Yahya Jammeh's repressive leadership unfairly held the country back, prompting thousands of Gambians to courageously vote for change. President-elect Barrow's new administration will face countless daunting challenges, including the healing of a nation that has suffered collective trauma for over two decades. We are encouraged that Barrow and his coalition have pledged openness, peace, reconciliation and transparency. And we are excited about the country’s prospects under new leadership."
Vanguard Africa offers a holistic program of support to strengthen the capacity of pro-reform political candidates and elected leaders in Africa. Vanguard Africa's cohesive efforts -- informed by decades of experience working in Africa and other challenging environments across the world -- will address the fundamental obstacle that leaders often face: supplementing their vision and inherent political acumen with the resources, global support, and connections that are required to win at the polls and to effect change.
Elections in The Gambia: What Happens if Jammeh Loses? (The Africa Times – November 27)
The candidacy of Dr. Isatou Touray, the first woman to run for president – now in support of Barrow and the UDP after stepping aside earlier this month – helped to ignite voters who want to see progress in Gambian economic and social life. It also attracted support of the NGO Vanguard Africa, an organization dedicated to supporting good-governance candidates across the African continent.
The Gambia’s ICC Withdrawal Unsurprising, but Raises Serious Concerns (SMBC News – November 21)
‘The Monster Has Outwitted Them’: Have Zimbabweans Stopped Protesting? (News 24 – Nov. 16)
Jeffrey Smith, founding director of US-based Vanguard Africa certainly doesn't think everything's over for Zimbabwe's protest forces. He told News24: "I think it's only natural for such movements to have ebbs and flows. What Zimbabwe's protest movement has done up to this point is help to ensure that a democratic transition, powered first and foremost by the people, will eventually take hold."