Yahya Jammeh smiles during a rally in Banjul, Gambia, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon/File Photo

BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh arrived at the airport in the capital Banjul on Saturday in the company of mediator Alpha Conde, the president of Guinea, after stepping down from power, a Reuters witness said.

Jammeh was likely headed into exile, mediators said. He took power in 1994 and stepped down overnight in the face of pressure from West African armies that entered Gambia to force him to recognize he lost an election to President Adama Barrow.