Report on Citizenship Law: The Gambia in place to implement certain provisions of the constitution were put to rest was.9 In 1970, the republican constitution was promulgated, making The Gambia a republic with an indigenous president as head of state.10 The citizenship provisions of The Gambia Constitutions of 1965 and 1970 were practically the same. The 1970 Constitution provides that persons born in The Gambia acquired citizenship based on birth in the territory, with the same exceptions.11 Persons born outside of The Gambia became citizens of The Gambia provided that at the time of birth, the person’s father was a citizen of The Gambia who himself was born in The Gambia.12 A woman who was married to a Gambian was allowed to make an application for Gambian citizenship in a manner prescribed by an Act of Parliament. The 1970 Constitution, like the Independence Constitution of 1965, provided only for women that get married or had been married to Gambian men to be able to acquire citizenship.13 3. The current citizenship regime The Gambia adopted its second republican constitution in 1997, approved by a referendum held on the draft in August 1996. The 1997 Constitution establishes the current legal regime for Gambian citizenship. President Jawara of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had dominated the political life of The Gambia from 1965 to 1994. A military intervention in the governance of The Gambia began on Friday, 22nd July 1994 in the form of a coup d’etat led by Yahya Jammeh, which overthrew his government. After the coup leaders proclaiming themselves as the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council on 22nd July 1994, the Council proceeded to make laws in the form of Decrees, which commenced with the promulgation of the AFPRC Establishment Decree.14 This legalised the members of the Council as the only executive authority with the competence to make laws for The Gambia from 22nd July, 1994. One of the most significant offshoots of the military intervention was the suspension and modification of certain operative provisions and institutions in the 1970 Constitution that were inconsistent with the decrees and regulations that were part of The Gambia’s basic laws at the time. 15 Despite the suspension and modification of certain provisions of the 1970 Constitution, several laws of The Gambia remained in force mostly because of the unsuspended provisions of the 1970 Constitution. The AFPRC appointed a Constitutional Review Commission, which produced a draft constitution, approved by national referendum on 8 August 1996 and enacted in January 1997.16 The constitution provided for unlimited five-year terms for an elected president: Yahya Jammeh remained in power as President until 2017. 9 The Gambia since Independence 1965-1980. 15 Years of Nationhood. Constitution of the Republic of Gambia, Act No.1 of 1970. 11 Constitution of The Gambia 1970, Section 5. 12 Constitution of The Gambia, 1970, Section 6. 13 Constitution of The Gambia, 1970, Section 7. 14 Decree No. 1 of 1994; The Parliamentary Counsel was C. S. Jallow, QC, formerly Attorney-General of the British Virgin Island, West Indies. 15 Ousman A. S. Jammeh, The Constitutional Law of The Gambia, 1965 – 2010. AuthorHouseUK, 2011 16 Constitution of The Gambia, Act No. 1 of 1997 (entry into force 16 January 1997). 10 RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2021/7 - © 2021 Author(s) 5