Extensive Damage as Southern Flood Crisis Enters Week 4

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23 January 2017, 12:42

Children walk through a flooded community to receive donated foodstuffs Monday in Surat Thani province.

BANGKOK — The flooding crisis entered a fourth week in six southern provinces where rain is expected to continue pouring for several more days.

Since New Year’s Day, the deaths of 83 people have been blamed on the flooding which has affected more than 1.7 million residents of 12 provinces, according to disaster officials. Four people remain missing.

Flash flood and landslide warnings are in effect through Wednesday in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces, according to the Meteorological Department.

Read: Do Good: Hit the Town to Raise Money for Flood Relief

On the gulf side, small boats are instructed to stay ashore until Thursday.

The flooding has been blamed on record-high rainfall combined with urban sprawl, environmental destruction and poor planning.

It’s caused extensive economic damage to the main engines of the southern economy: tourism, plantations and farms and commercial fishing.

The Trang Provincial Tourism Business Association said almost all tourists have canceled bookings. It said Trang’s beaches are unaffected.

Said to be the worst flood that hit the region in a decade, the damages could rise to 120 billion baht if the situation goes persists for several months, according to the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

“The most damage is to rubber and palm oil,” said chamber chairman Isara Wongkusolkij.

Isara said that if stands are destroyed, regrowing rubber takes eight years, and palm takes three.

Should the crisis end in a matter of weeks, Isara said the damage may be limited to 15 billion baht, an amount equal to 0.1 percent of the national GDP.

Devastation at a lime plantation on Monday in Surat Thani province.

Action star and director Jackie Chan gets a haircut Sunday at a Siam Paragon charity event. He donated 2.4 million baht to southern flood relief.

More Floods Feared in South as 1.6 Million Affected

As Southern Flooding Eases, 22B Baht Price Tag For Repairs

Malls, Airport Closed as Worst Flood in Decades Hit South

Absurd News Parody Brings Smiles to Flood-Ravaged South (Photos)

Bangkok Man Opens Microbrewery in Home. Goes Straight to Jail.

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Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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23 January 2017, 11:57

NONTHABURI — Taopiphop Limjittrakorn had a simple dream of selling his home-brewed beer from his three-story shophouse in northern metro Bangkok.

The only problem is brewing and selling home-made beer is illegal, and on Monday 28-year-old Taopiphop was preparing for a court appearance scheduled for tomorrow.

Taopiphop was arrested by police and tax officers on Saturday, the opening night of his home brewing business in Nonthaburi city’s Bang Krasor area.

Read: Thai Craft Beer’s New Strategy: Keep Brewing Until Law Catches Up

Police said they learned about his illegal operation from people who had seen online advertisements for his Taopiphop Bar Project.

When officers arrived, they said the shophouse door was closed. Officers entered through a back door where found Taopiphop selling his self-made bottles for 150 baht to customers.

Police also found brewing materials on the second and third floors including boiling tanks and fermentation tanks for malt, hops and yeast, according to Col. Kittisak Tiengkamol of Rattanathibet police.

The beer-making equipment was confiscated and Taopiphop, a law graduate, reportedly confessed to charges of producing alcoholic drinks without a license and possessing the equipment to do so. He contested two other charges: possession and sale of alcoholic drinks without excise tax stamps.

Update: Court Fines Man Arrested for Operating Home Microbrew

Taopiphop reportedly confessed to the first two charges but contested the other two. Taopiphop could not be reached for comment.

Under the 1950 Liquor Act, beer can only be made in a factory or brewpub and brewing equipment must be approved by officials.

If convicted, Taopiphop faces fines up to 5,000 baht and, under changes to the law last year, six months in jail.

Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly indicated that Taopiphop was jailed Saturday. While he was arrested, he remained free until his appearance in court Tuesday.

Kill The Boy and Let the Beer Be Born

Brewing Discontent: Frothy Passions Erupt When Thai Craft Beer Goes Big

Missing Japanese Tourist’s Body Found in Chao Phraya River: Police

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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23 January 2017, 11:43

A photo of Sonam Tsuboi. Image: Tama Tsuboi / Facebook

BANGKOK — Police on Monday said a body found weeks ago in the Chao Phraya River matches that of a Japanese tourist reported missing from Khaosan Road last month.

A body was found in southern Bangkok matching the description of Sonam Tsuboi on Dec. 30, three days after his family said he was last seen at the Mama Guesthouse in the popular backpacker area, according to the local police chief with jurisdiction over Khaosan Road.

“They found the same tattoo in the same place,” said Col. Pitak Sitthikul of Chanasongkram police. “We have informed his relatives and told them to retrieve the body.”

Read: Missing Japanese Tourist’s Mother Arrives Seeking Answers

He added, “We can confirm it’s the same person.”

Tsuboi’s brother, Tama Tsuboi, who came to Thailand with his mother to search for 22-year-old Tsuboi, declined to answer questions Monday.

The body was found close to a river pier in the Bang Kho Laem district of Bangkok, but police initially could not identify it, according to Pitak. After an investigation was launched into Tsuboi’s disappearance, investigators learned of the unidentified body and matched it with Tsuboi, Pitak said.

He added that it’s too early to say for certain how Tsuboi died, but said there were no signs pointing to murder so far.

“Investigators will continue to work on the case,” the police colonel said. “We found no wounds on him, and there was no sign of a struggle.”

Gambia’s Ex-Dictator Stole $11.4 million Before Leaving in Exile

By

Associated Press

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23 January 2017, 10:36

Gambia's former leader Yahya Jammeh seen here in 2012. Photo: Jagga / Wikimedia Commons

BANJUL, Gambia — Exiled Gambian ruler Yahya Jammeh stole millions of dollars in his final weeks in power, plundering the state coffers and shipping out luxury vehicles by cargo plane, a special adviser for the new president said Sunday.

Meanwhile, a regional military force rolled in, greeted by cheers, to secure this tiny West African nation so that democratically elected President Adama Barrow could return home. He remained in neighboring Senegal, where he took the oath of office Thursday because of concerns for his safety.

At a press conference in the Senegalese capital, Barrow’s special adviser Mai Ahmad Fatty told journalists that the president “will return home as soon as possible.”

Underscoring the challenges facing the new administration, Fatty confirmed that Jammeh made off with more than USD $11.4 million during a two-week period alone. That is only what they have discovered so far since Jammeh and his family took an offer of exile after more than 22 years in power and departed late Saturday.

“The Gambia is in financial distress. The coffers are virtually empty. That is a state of fact,” Fatty said. “It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia.”

Fatty also confirmed that a Chadian cargo plane had transported luxury goods out of the country on Jammeh’s behalf in his final hours in power, including an unknown number of vehicles.

Fatty said officials at the Gambia airport have been ordered not to allow any of Jammeh’s belongings to leave. Separately, it appeared that some of his goods remained in Guinea, where Jammeh and his closest allies stopped on their flight into exile.

Fatty said officials “regret the situation,” but it appeared that the major damage had been done, leaving the new government with little recourse to recoup the funds.

The unpredictable Jammeh, known for startling declarations like his claim that bananas and herbal rubs could cure AIDS, went into exile under mounting international pressure, with a wave to supporters as soldiers wept. He is now in Equatorial Guinea, home to Africa’s longest-serving ruler and not a state party to the International Criminal Court.

Jammeh’s dramatic about-face on his December election loss to Barrow, at first conceding and then challenging the vote, appeared to be the final straw for the international community, which had been alarmed by his moves in recent years to declare an Islamic republic and leave the Commonwealth and the ICC.

Barrow’s adviser disavowed a joint declaration issued after Jammeh’s departure by the United Nations, African Union and West African regional bloc ECOWAS that bestowed a number of protections upon Jammeh, his family and his associates – including the assurance that their lawful assets would not be seized.

“As far as we’re concerned, it doesn’t exist,” Fatty said.

The declaration also said Jammeh’s exile was “temporary” and that he reserved the right to return to Gambia at the time of his choosing.

Although the declaration was written to provide Jammeh with maximum protection, it doesn’t give him amnesty, according to international human rights lawyer Reed Brody.

“Under international law in fact you can’t amnesty certain crimes like torture and massive or systematic political killings,” he said in an email. “Depending where Jammeh ends up, though, the real obstacles to holding him accountable will be political.”

Barrow will now begin forming a Cabinet and working with Gambia’s national assembly to reverse the state of emergency Jammeh declared in his final days in power, said Halifa Sallah, spokesman for the coalition backing the new leader.

The president’s official residence, State House, needs to be cleared of any possible hazards before Barrow arrives, Sallah added.

The regional military force that had been poised to force out Jammeh if diplomatic efforts failed rolled into Gambia’s capital, Banjul, on Sunday night to secure it for Barrow’s arrival.

Hundreds greeted the force’s approach to State House, cheering and dancing, while some people grabbed soldiers to take selfies.

The force will remain in the country “until such time the security general situation is comprehensively redressed,” Barrow said in a statement.

Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the regional bloc, said part of Gambia’s security forces needed to be “immobilized,” and he confirmed that Jammeh had had mercenaries by his side during the standoff. The former leader also had requested “a sort of amnesty” for him and his entourage and had wanted to remain in his home village, de Souza said.

With Jammeh gone, a country that had waited in silence during the crisis sprang back to life. Shops and restaurants opened, music played and people danced in the streets.

Defense chief Ousmane Badjie said the military welcomed the arrival of the regional force “wholeheartedly.” With proper orders, he said, he would open the doors to the notorious prisons where rights groups say many who have disappeared over the years may be kept.

“We are going to show Barrow we are really armed forces with a difference, I swear to God,” Badjie said. “I have the Quran with me.”

Some of the 45,000 people who had fled the tiny country during the crisis began to return. The nation of 1.9 million, which promotes itself to overseas tourists as “the Smiling Coast of Africa,” has been a major source of migrants heading toward Europe because of the situation at home.

“I think it will be safer now,” said 20-year-old Kaddy Saidy, who was returning to Banjul with her three young children.

Barrow, who has promised to reverse many of Jammeh’s actions, told The Associated Press on Saturday he will launch a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate alleged human rights abuses of Jammeh’s regime. Rights groups say those include arbitrary detentions, torture and even killing of opponents.

“After 22 years of fear, Gambians now have a unique opportunity to become a model for human rights in West Africa,” Amnesty International’s deputy director for West and Central Africa, Steve Cockburn, said in a statement Sunday.

Story: Krista Larson, Carley Petesch

Fly Windmills and Headspins at Epic B-Boy Battle

By

Kaewta Ketbungkan, Staff Reporter

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23 January 2017, 10:32

La Fete’s B-boy Battle 2015 at Live House BKK, JJ Green in an image posted Jan. 12. Photo: La Fete B-boy Battle / Facebook.

BANGKOK — La Fete’s B-boy Battle is ready to break down some moves next month with street dancers throwing down in a freestyle dance battle.

Sixty crews will compete in the nation’s most epic dance battle, with the usual four-on-four competition and this year’s new Powermove 7 to Smoke, in which one dancer must beat seven challengers in a row.

The winner of the main battle will receive 18,000 baht while first and second runners-up will earn 12,000 baht and 10,000 baht respectively. The winner of the special battle will get 3,000 baht.

Apart from the competition, the public will be given the chance to learn some steps at a dance workshop and steep in some hip hop vibes with live music until midnight.

Admission is free.

The competition starts at 1:30pm on Feb. 4 at Alliance Francaise Bangkok on Witthayu Road, which is a 10-minute walk from MRT Lumphini’s Exit No.3.

Do Good: Hit the Town to Raise Money for Flood Relief

By

Kaewta Ketbungkan, Staff Reporter

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22 January 2017, 18:00

BANGKOK — Join artists, musicians and chefs raise money for flood relief in a series of events beginning Tuesday.

Appreciating art won’t be only for art’s sake with food, visual works and some harcore beats in the works to help those in need. Weeks of devastating floods has affected nearly two million people and killed at least 80 people.

To gather money for relief, people in creative circles have devised some charitable events for a good cause.

Art & Gourmet

Vegs of The Moment Risotto. Photo: 80/20bkk / Facebook.

Tha-an (donation) will feature art and gourmet food at two nearby venues on Charoen Krung Road near the river in Bang Rak district.

To satisfy one’s taste buds, creative dishes will be served starting at 7pm on Tuesday at 80/20bkk restaurant on Soi Charoen Krung 26. The price for the full course menu is 4,000 baht, excluding drinks. Reservation and more information are available online.

Two sois away on Soi Charoen Krung 28, find an exhibition at Most Gallery with works shown and for sale by the likes of tattoo artist Luke Satoru and designer Nattha Tachamethakul. Music and drinks will also be available.

The exhibition opens daily from 3pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Jan. 28.

A unspecified portion of the proceeds from food and art sales will be donated to charities related to southern Thailand.

Image: Vasan Sitthiket / Hybrid Art Collectors

At “Art For South,” find works from national and renowned local artists for sale at auction.

Proceeds will go to support children are affected by the flooding through the Foundation For Children, nonprofit organization that provides child education services.

The auction will take place at 4pm on the fifth floor auditorium of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. It can be reached by skywalk from BTS National Stadium.

Music

A hardcore band “Keep Talking” performs in Italy posted on March 2016. Photo: Keep Talking / Facebook.

Swiss hardcore band “Keep Talking” will join nine local independent bands including License to Kill, Monument X and Lowfat.

Tickets are 300 baht. Organizers say all proceeds after deducting expenses will go to flood victims, but did not specify how. The organizer was out of town and could not respond to questions, but we’ll update this with the answer.

The concert starts at 4pm on Feb. 4 at the Soy Sauce Factory on Soi Charoen Krung 24, which is a 15-minute walk from MRT Hua Lamphong exit No. 1.

Thai Craft Beer’s New Strategy: Keep Brewing Until Law Catches Up

By

Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter

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22 January 2017, 14:22

BANGKOK — “Can you eat Khao Man Gai (Chicken and Rice) every day? Can you eat Som Tam every day? No, but you can drink beer every day,” a man says as he pours a chestnut and brown sugar stout from the tap.

After his Chinatown craft beer joint Let the Boy Die was temporarily shut down in December after one too many raids, Pipattanaphon “Pieak” Poompho isn’t quite fighting the law as much as he is working around it to keep the suds flowing.

Now he’s doing so at a new craft beer-focused venue on Soi Ekkamai 10.

Goldencoins Taproom has only been open a month, but it’s already known to beer drinkers from his former Let the Boy Die regulars to passers-by. Golden Coins, the meaning of which comes from his mother’s maiden name, was the signature brew in six varieties at Let the Boy Die.

Read: Kill The Boy and Let the Beer Be Born

But pick up a bottle of this Thai-made beer and don’t be surprised to find it says “Made in Vietnam” as Pieak from time to time would fly northeast to a city near Ho Chi Minh where his beer factory takes place.

That’s because of the legal challenges Pieak and other brewers have faced.

So as his peers have done, architect-cum-brewmaster Pieak has gone great lengths – and distances – to outsource production of his beer to a foreign factory for import back into Thailand.

“It’s impossible to do it in Thailand now. We have two choices: Either hire an overseas factory to make it or build a factory abroad on our own,” Pieak said.

Pieak is not the only one whose homebrewing business is stifled by legal barriers. As it’s not possible to produce domestically, seven other independent brewmasters do the same, including Melbourne-bottled Lamzing Beer and Stone Head from Cambodia.

The 1950 Liquor Act states beer can only be made in a factory or brewpub. A 2000 Finance Ministry regulation says for producers to gain legal status, they must make more than 100,000 liters per year and be a limited company with capital of at least 10 million baht.

Read: Brewing Discontent: Frothy Passions Erupt When Thai Craft Beer Goes Big

That pretty much rules out small players and microbrews entering the field dominated by ThaiBev (Chang, Archa) and Boon Rawd (Singha, Leo). A brewpub like the Tawandang German Brewery on Rama III Road cannot sell off the premises.

On Saturday night, police raided the home of a 28-year-old Nonthaburi man and reportedly arrested him for selling his homemade beer.

Pieak said those laws miss the point.

“The law can’t focus purely on the quantity,” he said. “Let’s look at it as an art, not an intoxicant. Its unique characteristic is smaller production but more quality.”

Producing abroad doesn’t just raise costs, but adds import duties of up to 60 percent. That means a bottle of Golden Coins wholesales for 110 baht. A pint of the stuff at Goldencoins sells for 180 baht.

In contrast to law written decades ago, craft beer emerged as a trend in Thailand only a few years ago, along with other tastes which have shifted away from mass-produced uniformity to embrace handicrafts such as zines, DIY sneakers and handmade tote bags.

More bar patrons are looking to drink something other than Singha, Hoegaarden and Paulaner. About 800 people gathered last year west of the capital in Kanchanaburi province to enjoy free-flow craft beer of nearly 20 brands at Craft ‘N Roll Carnival. The event was credited as the biggest craft beer festival to date.

Pipattanaphon ‘Pieak’ Poompho, at left, with his customers at Goldencoins Taproom.

“The law hasn’t been changed to fit the society these days,” said Yannakorn Apirajkamol of Craft ‘N Roll. “Its limitations don’t stimulate development and competition.”

The law can change in the long term as more people, especially the authorities, acknowledge the culture of craft beer, according to Col. Wichit Saiklao, who is known in the community as the father of Thai craft beer.

“Craft beer is very new in Thailand,” said Col. Wichit, whose Chitbeer is credited as one of the first homebrews. “The poo yai still don’t know what exactly it is. They don’t understand craft beer culture, therefore, to rush to the change of legislation is futile. We should do what’s possible now.”

Wichit will soon open Mitr Sampan Brewery in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district. The brewery, which is expected to go into production at the end of the year, was described by Wichit as the first “open brewery,” a place where independent brewers can produce and sell their products.

“It shares the same concept with an open kitchen. We build an opportunity for underground brewers to be on the grounds,” Wichit said. “If we do this, we will have 20 to 30 brands of beer with high quality, then we’ll get poo yais’ interest in changing the laws.”

As the founder of online craft beer community Craft Brewery is Not a Crime, Pieak believes the movement calling for the change of legislation is fruitless. He opts to focus on making good beer at a reasonable price to expand craft beer to more consumers.

“I support good beer no matter if it’s legal or illegal,” he said.

Brewing Discontent: Frothy Passions Erupt When Thai Craft Beer Goes Big

Rooney Nets 250th Goal for Man United With Stunning Free-Kick (Video)

By

Associated Press

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22 January 2017, 11:11

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney waves to fans after the English Premier League soccer match between Stoke City and Manchester United Saturday at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke on Trent, England. Photo: Rui Vieira / Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England — It was a moment of drama and pride for Wayne Rooney but one tinged with disappointment for Bobby Charlton.

Rooney overhauled Charlton on Saturday to become Manchester United’s record scorer, coming off the bench to net his landmark 250th goal in stoppage time at Stoke to clinch a 1-1 draw in the Premier League.

“(Charlton) came and congratulated me in the dressing room so I know he’s pleased in some way,” said Rooney, who has won the Champions League and five Premier League titles with United.

“I’m a team player but records are important. When you finish your career you can look back on it and it’s something to tell your kids.”

Last January, Rooney moved past Denis Law to become United’s second-highest scorer on 239 and, now playing as a deep-lying attacker or in midfield, began the slow crawl to surpass the tally of club great Charlton – who was among fans watching the game against Stoke – that had stood since 1973.

The 31-year-old Rooney, no longer assured of a starting spot in his 13th season at United, moved level with Charlton on Jan. 7 and needed two more weeks to take the record outright.

Rooney has scored 250 goals in 546 games, Charlton scored 249 in 758 matches.

“I have become used to the honor of being the club’s all-time top goal scorer,” Charlton said. “We have had some incredible strikers here at Old Trafford and they have scored a lot of goals, but it has been fairly obvious for a while now that Wayne Rooney was going to be the one likeliest to break my record.

“And now that day has come, I would be lying to say that I’m not disappointed to have lost the record. However, I can honestly say that I’m delighted for Wayne. He deserves his place in the history books.”

Having already broken Charlton’s 49-goal England scoring record in 2015, Rooney has now completed possibly the final major feat of his illustrious – if turbulent – career.

“He is a true great for club and country, and it is fitting that he is now the highest goal scorer for both United and England,” Charlton said. “It has been great to watch him every week since his arrival at Old Trafford in 2004.

“He set the tone with a wonderful hat trick on his debut and he has thrilled us all in the years since, going on to enjoy a hugely successful career.”

http://youtu.be/_w8x7LyS95Q?t=551

Setting the United goal record confirms Rooney as a modern-day great in English soccer, if not maybe the world game.

Some will say he hasn’t quite reached the heights expected of him after bursting onto the international scene with such brio at the 2004 European Championship, or that he hasn’t kicked on from when he was arguably at the top of his game with United in the 2009-10 season.

In that season, Rooney was at a level comparable to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But his career has tailed off somewhat – save for certain standout periods – while Messi and Ronaldo have gone from strength to strength, competing on an annual basis for FIFA’s Player of the Year award.

In some United supporters’ eyes, he has also tarnished his long stay at United by seeking to leave the club firstly in 2010 and again at the end of the 2012-13 season.

But there have been many memorable moments in the famous red jersey since moving to United from Everton for 20 million pounds as an 18-year-old prodigy in 2004, starting with his debut when he scored a hat trick in a Champions League match against Fenerbahce at Old Trafford.

He scored 17 goals in his first season, the highlight being a thunderous volley from 30 meters against Newcastle in April 2005 that will go down as one of the best goals in his career.

Ironically, Rooney has rarely been a prolific scorer. He managed 16 league goals in 2005-06, 14 in 2006-07, 12 in 2007-08 and 12 in 2008-09. His best scoring season for United was in 2009-10, when he netted 33 goals in all competitions (26 in the league) and he was named English soccer’s player of the year by his fellow professionals.

And the 79-year-old Charlton thinks Rooney still has much to offer.

“I was 35 when I retired – Wayne is only 31 and still going strong, so I don’t think he’s done by a long stretch yet,” Charlton said. “He continues to show that he can contribute goals, assists and performances whenever called upon, he will raise the bar even further before he calls it a day.

“Now he’s the man to beat, and I can’t see anybody doing that for a long, long time.”

Some of Rooney’s great goals include:

– His powerful volley from the edge of the area in a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in January 2005

– His overhead kick against Manchester City that sealed a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in February 2011

– His shot from the halfway line against West Ham in a 2-0 win at Upton Park in March 2014

Story: Rob Harris, Steve Douglas

23 Killed, 50 Injured as Train Derails in Southern India

By

Associated Press

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22 January 2017, 10:59

A train passes by a road intersection in 2013 in Lucknow, India, where at least 45 people were killed Sunday morning following a derailment. Photo: BOMBMAN / Flickr

HYDERABAD, India — Railway officials say that at least 23 people have been killed and 50 others injured after a passenger train derailed in southern India.

Divisional Railway manager Chandralekha Mukherji says the accident took place in the Vizianagram district of Andhra Pradesh around midnight Saturday.

She says seven coaches of the Hirakand Express were thrown off the tracks.

Rescue workers are at the site Sunday morning trying to cut open mangled coaches.

It’s the latest accident on India’s massive but poorly maintained railway network.

Jammeh Leaves Gambia in Exile to Mark New Democratic Era

By

Associated Press

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22 January 2017, 10:47

Gambia's defeated leader Yahya Jammeh waves to supporters as he departs Saturday at Banjul airport. Photo: Jerome Delay / Associated Press

BANJUL, Gambia — Gambia’s defeated leader Yahya Jammeh and his family headed into political exile Saturday night, ending a 22-year reign of fear and a post-election political standoff that threatened to provoke a regional military intervention when he clung to power.

As he mounted the stairs to the plane, he turned to the crowd, kissed his Quran and waved one last time to supporters, including soldiers who cried at his departure.

The flight came almost 24 hours after Jammeh announced on state television he was ceding power to the newly inaugurated Adama Barrow, in response to mounting international pressure for his ouster.

Though tens of thousands of Gambians had fled the country during his rule, Jammeh supporters flocked to the airport to see him walk the red carpet to his plane. Women shouted: “Don’t go! Don’t go!”

Jammeh landed in Guinea an hour later. He and his family then took off for Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, according to an airport official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak to the press. Equatorial Guinea, unlike Guinea, is not a state party to the International Criminal Court.

“What is fundamental here is he will live in a foreign country as of now,” Barrow told The Associated Press earlier Saturday.

Barrow won the December elections, but Jammeh contested the results as calls grew for him to be prosecuted for alleged abuses during his time in power. A regional force had been poised to force out Jammeh if last-ditch diplomatic efforts failed to persuade him to leave.

The situation became so tense that Barrow had to be inaugurated in neighboring Senegal at the Gambian Embassy on Thursday, after Jammeh’s mandate expired at midnight.

Barrow told The Associated Press he would return to Gambia once it is “clear” and a security sweep is completed.

Shortly after Jammeh’s departure, the United Nations, African Union and the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, issued a declaration saying that any country offering him and his family “African hospitality” should not be punished and that he should be free to return to Gambia in the future. It said Jammeh was leaving “temporarily.”

The joint statement did not include promises of amnesty but said the world and regional bodies “commit to work with the government of the Gambia to prevent the seizure of assets and properties lawfully belonging to former President Jammeh or his family and those of his Cabinet members, government officials and party supporters.”

Jammeh, who seized power in a coup in 1994, once vowed to rule for a billion years. He represented one of a dwindling number of West African leaders staying in office without apparent limit. The success in getting him to leave peacefully may help the vast region move toward more stable transfers of power.

His departure has brought an end to the political crisis in this impoverished nation of 1.9 million, which promotes itself to overseas tourists as “the Smiling Coast of Africa” while being a major source of migrants heading north toward Europe.

As Jammeh prepared to leave the country after hours of last-minute negotiations with the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania, human rights activists demanded that he be held accountable for alleged abuses, including torture and detention of opponents.

“Jammeh came as a pauper bearing guns. He should leave as a disrobed despot. The properties he seeks to protect belong to Gambians and Gambia, and he must not be allowed to take them with him. He must leave our country without conditionalities,” said Jeggan Bahoum of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Gambia.

An online petition urged that Jammeh not be granted asylum and should instead be arrested. Barrow, though, cautioned that was premature.

“We aren’t talking about prosecution here, we are talking about getting a truth and reconciliation commission,” Barrow told the AP. “Before you can act, you have to get the truth, to get the facts together.”

In recent days, Jammeh had been holed up in his official residence in Banjul, increasingly isolated as he was abandoned by his security forces and several Cabinet members.

The West African regional bloc had pledged to remove Jammeh by force if he did not step down. The group assembled a multinational military force that rolled into Gambia on Thursday, after Barrow’s inauguration and a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council supporting the regional efforts.

The joint statement late Saturday announced a halt to the military operation in Gambia. But the force already in Banjul would stay to secure the capital before Barrow’s arrival, Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the regional bloc, told reporters in Senegal.

Gambia’s unrest had more than 45,000 people fleeing the country, the United Nations said. But when Jammeh left, the deserted streets came back to life. Restaurants opened, music played and people danced in the streets.

“It’s New Year’s Eve in Gambia. We are just about to start a new democratic Gambia,” said Momodou Janneh.

“For the Gambia to truly move on, President Barrow must reside in State House and begin the task of governing,” Jeffrey Smith, executive director of Vanguard Africa, wrote in an email. “In an ideal scenario, Jammeh will also face justice for the many crimes he has committed since 1994.”

Story: Carley Petesch, Krista Larson

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