Banjul, Gambia - South Africa says it recognizes Adama Barrow as the legitimate president of Gambia and "looks forward to a close working relationship with him and the people of The Gambia."
The statement from South Africa's foreign affairs department also "urges former President Yahya Jammeh to cooperate with ECOWAS, and should step down peacefully."
It says it hopes Barrow "returns to his country to assume the role democratically bestowed on him by the people of The Gambia." Barrow is in neighboring Senegal, where he was inaugurated Thursday.
Gambia's chief of defense forces has pledged his allegiance to the country's new president Friday, a major shift as mediation continued to persuade defeated Yahya Jammeh to cede power.
Ousmane Badjie told The Associated Press the country's security services all support the newly inaugurated Adama Barrow and said they would not fight a regional force that is poised to push out Jammeh if the current negotiations talks fail.