The Gambian strongman Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down and leave the country, a spokesperson to President Adama Barrow said on Friday.
Adama Barrow made the announcement on Twitter, after hours of talks aimed at persuading Jammeh to recognise the result of the presidential election.
West African nations have deployed troops in The Gambia threatening to drive him out of office by force.
Barrow has been in neighbouring Senegal for days. He was sworn in in the Gambian embassy there on Thursday.
His legitimacy as president has been recognised internationally, after he won last month's elections.
Jammeh's deadline to cede power to Barrow lapsed several times as West African troops moved into the nation in a bid to force his removal.
Hours before, Gambia's army chief abandoned the embattled longtime leader, saying his forces would not fight against a military operation to remove him, as regional leaders led a last ditch effort to convince him to flee into exile.
The defection of General Ousman Badjie, who had previously stood by Jammeh, removed what was perhaps the former coup leader's last remaining pillar of support, potentially raising the likelihood of a peaceful solution to the political impasse.
While Barrow's election victory last month and inauguration on Thursday were celebrated by many across the tiny nation of less than 2 million people, support for Jammeh remained strong among some Gambians, who opposed the military intervention.
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