YAMMEH Yahya

Yahya Yammeh born May 25, 1965 in the village of Canillo Foni Kansai area, which is west of the Gambia. Married for the second to Moroccan Zineb Yahya Yammeh, nee Suma, whose father was a Guinean diplomat akkretovannym in Rabat. Zineb Yahya and have a daughter, Mariam, born in 2000. First wife - Tuti Faal (from 1994 to 1998).

Is well known that at the Yahi - military nature, he loves and knows how to win all sorts of rivals, and often declares that he intends to influence world events.

In seven years the future president entered the school's home village and continued primary education is six years. At age 18, received a certificate of secondary education with the promotion on most items and went to serve in the National Gendarmerie. In 1986 received a sergeant in 1987 - Lieutenant. In 1987-88 he studied at the School of the Presidential ekskorta, then commander of the gendarmerie mobile unit. August 1991 - July 1994 - the peak of his military career Yammeha, who was in command of a military police unit in the Gambia National Army

. A special page of his biography was the leadership of the service of several international events held in the Gambia - Summits of Heads of States of ECOWAS, the Peace Conference on Liberia, the visit of the Pope, etc.
. Favorite and major studies of his youth was a VIP-protection.

But career Yammeha stronger still abroad. In 1993-1994 Yammeh honed their military skills in a military school in Alabama (USA), where he became the darling of the nation. In 1993 he received the title of Honorary Citizen of Georgia, . and in 1994 - an honorary lieutenant Alabama, . and in 1997 Biographical Institute, North Carolina advanced Yammeha on competition title "Citizen of the Year", . which Yammeh and began in 1998,
. In September of that year he became an honorary Admiral of Alabama. In 1999 received his doctorate of jurisprudence in Canada and in the same year entered in the British list of outstanding people tyasyacheletiya, compiled by the International Biographical Institute of Cambridge. Yammeh regularly receive awards from the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi nation, marked with state awards in China, Senegal, Liberia, etc.

Yahya came to power in the Gambia as a result of successful bloodless military coup. Lieutenant Yammeh led the coup after his return from mirotvorchenskoy UN operations in Liberia, based on such as he, veterans, not poluchvshih pay for military labor. Riots officers who have not received salaries - one of the most common types of insurgencies in the always belligerent Africa.

July 22, 1994 Yammeh declared commander of the armed forces, the Interim Chairman of the Board and Head of State. September 8, 1996 Yammeh dismissed from the army in order to participate in the presidential election campaign as a civilian, and nine days of becoming first President of the Second Republic of The Gambia. The election drew sharp criticism from the participants and observers. The opposition was allowed to stand as candidates; activities of the three political parties, former mainstay of the former regime, in general at the time was banned in the Gambia.

During the elections of 18 October 2001 Yammeh elected to a second term in the first round, winning more than half (approximately. 53%) of voters (turnout at about. 90%). Election of all stakeholders judged to be honest. The motto of his campaign was the economic prosperity of the country.

Yammeh conducts active international social work - is headed by a committee on drought, becomes the 1 st Vice-President of the Islamic Conference during its 9th meeting in Qatar, etc..

At leisure president likes to play tennis and soccer, hunting in the woods, reading books and letters to pee, ride a motorcycle, watch movies and listen to music. He likes to observe the habits of animals and to administer the historical events. And yet - has an extensive knowledge in traditional medicine, especially able Yahya asthma and epilepsy - a disease that is usually easy to cure only the emperors.