Gambians cheer ECOWAS troops entering capital, Banjul

Voting in Gambia is unlike anywhere else. Instead of casting a paper ballot, Gambians cast a marble instead. But plans to do away with the traditional practice has sparked a heated debate in the country.

Fed-up with thieves and robbers, young people from one of the largest cities in the Gambia set up a militia to patrol the streets at night.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Monday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Monday.

Benue Gov. writes President Buhari, calls for review of ECOWAS protocol

West African leaders have said Mali must hold a presidential election in February 2022. They also called for the immediate appointment of a new civilian prime minister.

Residents and students attend a vigil at the gates of the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi to pay homage to Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photographer Danish Siddiqui. The Reuters news agency photographer was killed covering fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban near a border crossing with Pakistan. The Reuters news agency photographer was killed Friday covering fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban near a border crossing with Pakistan. "Danish was a people's journalist... He used to narrate the sorrow and pain of our times through his camera," said one resident. His photos of protests in the neighbourhood against a controversial citizenship law last year were well-known among the residents here.

Rights groups in the Gambia are up in arms about the potential return of former dictator Yahya Jammeh to the West African country ahead of crucial December elections.

West African leaders from ECOWAS are preparing to meet in Conakry. The influential economic bloc suspended the country after this week's military takeover and told coup leaders to release deposed president Alpha Condé. Also on the show, we take a look at how South Africa's vaccination drive is faring. And in the same country, we meet a Black Free Dive instructor who is making waves in her community.

The Gambia is going to the polls in December, to vote their new president. And among those who wants to be president is independent candidate, Rasta man Bankole Yao Jojo Ahadzie, aka Banky. It is the first presidential and parliamentary election since the departure of Yahya Jammeh, who ruled for 22 years.

When Gambia's president Adama Barrow came to power in 2016, he promised to step down after three years. His decision to extend his term from three to five years - and seek another - has unsurprisingly divided the country. Edith Kimani meets young Gambians in the heat of the election campaign to hear from both sides.

Gambian voters will cast their votes on December 4 in a hotly contested presidential election. Observers view the polls as a crucial litmus test of Gambia's democracy.

Gambian President Adama Barrow has comfortably won re-election, the electoral commission said on Sunday, though he may face a legal challenge from opposition candidates who rejected the results because of unspecified irregularities. Barrow received around 53% of Saturday's vote, far outstripping his nearest rival, political veteran Ousainou Darboe, who won about 28 percent.