Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "I congratulate the people of The Gambia for their peaceful and democratic presidential election on December 1. We also congratulate President-elect Adama Barrow on his historic victory, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power in the country, and we look forward to working with him as he helps to usher in a new era in The Gambia.

"I also commend President Jammeh for respecting the results and for agreeing to peacefully transfer power to the president-elect. We are grateful to the Independent Electoral Commission for its transparent and efficient management of the electoral process.

"We call for unity and calm during this transition period, and urge the Gambian government to respect the rights of citizens to freely assemble and express their views on the election results.

"The United States and The Gambia share long-standing ties and we look forward to working together to promote democracy and governance, respect for human rights, and economic and social development."