Gambia and Senegal finally inaugurate connecting bridge

FARAFENNI, Gambia – The leaders of Senegal and Gambia have cut the ribbon on a project that was decades in the making, a bridge that links the north and south banks of the Gambia River and ties the neighbours closer together.

A boom in trade is expected for this part of West Africa.

Tiny Gambia pokes like a finger into the side of Senegal, its larger and more prosperous neighbour. For years, many Senegalese in the north had to drive for hours to skirt around Gambia or wait in long lines for a ferry.

Thousands of people gathered to witness the inauguration and walk across in celebration. One resident of the nearby community of Farafenni told The Associated Press that people’s prayers have come true.