Iran welcomed peaceful power transition in Gambia as the former President Yahya Jammeh left the country following 22 years in power, Press TV reported on Sunday.

The Islamic republic has always paid particular attention to the developments in the Gambia as an important Muslim country in West Africa, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said on Sunday.

This political shift will lead to the promotion of democracy in the region and the establishment of peace and calm in the Gambia, Qasemi said.

Jammeh lost the presidential election in December last year to Adama Barrow but said he would not relinquish power, claiming that there had been irregularities in the vote and pushing the country to the edge of war.

He left Gambia on Sunday after finally conceding defeat in an election under increasing international pressure.

source: Xinhua