Gambian Vice President Joof dies in India at 65 after 'short illness'

Banjul [The Gambia], January 18 : The Gambia's Vice President Badara Alieu Joof has died of 'short illness' in India, President Adama Barrow said on Wednesday.
Taking to Twitter, Barrow said, "Fellow #Gambians, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing away of my #VicePresident, His Excellency, Badara Alieu Joof. The sad event took place in India after a short illness. May Allah grant him Jannahtul Firdawsi."
The vice president earlier served as the education minister from 2017 to 2022 and then last year, he became the Vice President of the country.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his condolences on the Gambian Vice President's death.
Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, "Deeply grieved to learn about the passing away of Vice President of the Gambia Badara A. Joof, who was undergoing treatment in India. Ministry of External Affairs will render all necessary assistance to the Gambian authorities."
According to Al Jazeera, the vice president had left Gambia about three weeks ago to seek medical treatment and had not been seen in public for months before the trip. It said further that Joof was the fourth deputy to serve under Barrow since he became the President in 2016 against former strongman Yahya Jammeh and was sworn-in the following year.
The late vice president previously worked in the Gambian civil service and later in the World Bank as an Education Specialist for West and Central Africa, transmitting his experience there to his time as minister of higher education, research, science and technology.