Hundreds of young people have taken to the streets of The Gambia's capital Banjul urging members of the National Assembly to resign. Protesters gathered outside the parliament on 31 January in the first demonstration to occur since new President Adama Barrow returned to Banjul from Senegal, following the peaceful end of a political crisis.

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Protesters were angry as the assembly declared a state of emergency earlier in January, allowing former leader Yahya Jammeh, now in exile, to remain in power for three months, two days before his term expired.

The country witnessed a political stand-off as Jammeh refused to relinquish power in spite of losing the presidential election held in December 2016.

The political crisis prompted thousands of Gambians to flee into neighbouring Senegal and tourists to be evacuated amid fears a war could break out.

Jammeh eventually agreed to step down and go into exile in Equatorial Guinea following pressure from world leaders and the intervention of foreign troops.

The assembly later revoked the state of emergency, but protesters want those who facilitated Jammeh's attempt to cling on to power to resign.

"You failed to represent the interests of the Gambian people," read some of the signs held by demonstrators, as shown by pictures posted on social media.

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Demonstrators were mainly young people, who make up about 60% of the country's population.

"We want an assembly that will serve the Gambian youth and people in general. The new Gambia has no room for people like them," young people's leader Baboucarr Kebbeh told the Guardian.

The National Assembly has not issued any statement about the protests. Barrow's spokesperson could not be reached for comments.

Meanwhile, local media reported on 1 February that James FP Gomez had been appointed as Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters minister.

Protests were rare during the 22 years of Jammeh's rule, remembered for alleged human rights abuses and persecution of political opponents, activists and journalists.

In rare protests held in April 2016 , when people called for electoral reforms and Jammeh's resignation, at least 50 people were arrested, amid fears the secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP) opposition party, Solo Sanderg, and another party member died while in detention.