President Adama Barrow has sent his condolences to the family of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, the first president of The Gambia, who died at his residence in Fajara on Tuesday afternoon.

President Barrow described Jawara’s death as “a great loss to the country in particular and humanity in general”.

“I hereby extend my deepest condolence to his family and the entire Gambia population. 
May his soul rest in peace,” the president said in his statement.”

The founding father was said to have passed away peacefully in the company of his family.

Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, GCMG, was a significant national leader of The Gambia, serving as its Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as its first President from 1970 to 1994.

Born in Barajally in the Upper River Region, Jawara studied veterinary as profession at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and became a qualified veterinary surgeon in 1953.