President Adama Barrow has declared three days of national mourning following the death of the country’s first president, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, who died Tuesday afternoon at the age of 95.

President Barrow also ordered that all the national flags be flown at half-mast.

He said the former president will be given a state funeral on Thursday and would lie in state at the National Assembly before his burial.

‘’The public is hereby informed that the state funeral for the former President, Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara is scheduled for Thursday, 29th August, 4: 00 pm, at the National Assembly,” an announcement from the presidency said.

On Tuesday afternoon, President Barrow visited the residence of the former president in Fajara to pay condolences to the family. He described the former president as a democrat who put the Gambia on the global map during the independence struggle from Britain.

“His death is a great loss to the country in particular and humanity in general,” President Barrow said.

Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara was born on May 16, 1924 in Barajally, a small rural community situated in the Central River Region. After leading The Gambia to independence in 1965, he served as prime minister until 1970 when the country became a republic. He became the first president until 1994 when his government was toppled by military men led by Yahya Jammeh.