Dawda Kairaba Jawara
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Sir Dawda Jawara GCMG |
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Dawda Jawara (1979)
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| 1st President of the Gambia | |
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In office 24 April 1970 – 22 July 1994 |
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| Vice President |
Sheriff Mustapha Dibba Assan Musa Camara Alhajie Alieu Badara Njie Bakary Bunja Darbo Saihou Sabally |
| Preceded by |
Elizabeth II as Queen of the Gambia |
| Succeeded by | Yahya Jammeh |
| Prime Minister of the Gambia | |
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In office 12 June 1962 – 24 April 1970 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Pierre Sarr N'Jie |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
16 May 1924 Barajally, MacCarthy Island Division, British Gambia |
| Political party | People Progressive Party (PPP) |
| Spouse(s) | Augusta Jawara (1955–1967) |
| Children | Bolumbo Jawara (1978) |
| Alma mater |
University of Glasgow University of Liverpool |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, GCMG (born 16 May 1924) is a Gambian statesman who was a significant national leader of the Gambia, serving as its Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as its first President from 1970 to 1994.
Jawara was born in Barajally, MacCarthy Island Division, the son of Mamma Fatty and Almami Jawara. He was educated at the Methodist Boys' School in Bathurst and then attended Achimota College in Ghana. He trained as a veterinary surgeon at the University of Glasgow's School of Veterinary Medicine and then completed his training at the University of Liverpool. He returned to the Gambia in 1953 and married Augusta Mahoney, beginning work as a veterinary officer. He decided to enter politics and became secretary of the new People's Progressive Party (PPP) and was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1960 election. He became the leader of the PPP and then the country's first Prime Minister in 1962, only the second ever head of government following Pierre Sarr N'Jie's term as Chief Minister.
Under Jawara, the Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. He remained as Prime Minister as it became a Commonwealth realm, with Queen Elizabeth II remaining as head of state. In 1970, the Gambia became a republic, with no monarchy, and Jawara was elected as its first President. The greatest challenge to Jawara's power came in 1981 when an attempted coup d'etat took place and soldiers from neighbouring Senegal were forced to intervene, with 400 to 800 deaths reported by the end of the coup attempt. Following the coup attempt, Jawara and Senegalese President Abdou Diouf announced the creation of the Senegambia Confederation, but it collapsed in 1989.
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