The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow has taken oath of office in neighbouring Senegal, while the country’s longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh has refused to step down.
Barrow, the winner of December 1 election, was inaugurated on Thursday at Gambia’s embassy in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. The United Kingdom and other world powers have thrown their weight behind Mr. Barrow.
Yahya Jammeh, the repressive leader of Gambia who seized power in a coup 22 years ago and once said he could rule for a billion years, is refusing to step down after losing the presidential election last month.
In his inauguration speech, Barrow called on ECOWAS, the African Union and United Nations to “support the government and people of the Gambia in enforcing their will”.
A military operation is highly likely to be used to force Mr Jammeh out of office so the new president, Adama Barrow can return home to serve his term.
Already troops from Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Mali are said to have massed at Senegal/Gambia border waiting to move in to remove Mr Jammeh.
Meanwhile the ECOWAS has unanimously decided in their meeting to use the ECOWAS Standby Force for deployment in the Gambia with the Nigerian Military participation. The aim is to implement the decision of ECOWAS leaders in upholding the result of the Presidential election held in The Gambia on the 1 of December 2016.
It could be recalled that the ECOWAS leaders led by our noble President His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari made series of spirited efforts to resolve the impasse amicably but all diplomatic efforts by the ECOWAS and other world leaders were rebuffed by outgoing President of the Gambia Haj Yahya Jammeh. Accordingly, in line with this the Nigerian military will deploy its assets as part of ECOWAS standby force to protect the people of the Gambia and maintain sub regional peace and security. Additionally, it will also protect and sustain the democratic norms in the sub-region.
Nigeria’s fighter jets have been flying over The Gambia as West African regional forces continue to flex their muscles ahead of a military intervention to oust former President Yahya Jammeh.
Jammeh’s fourth five-year term as president expired at midnight on Wednesday but he has refused calls to step down following his defeat in last month’s elections.
Soldiers from Senegal are already scouring the streets of Banjul in readiness for the ouster of Jammeh.
