At the 27th Africa-France Summit in Bamako on Saturday, French President François Hollande reaffirmed his commitment to peace in Mali as more than 30 African leaders gathered to discuss security issues and ensuring peaceful transitions of power.

Leaders from across the continent gathered in the Malian capital Bamako to discuss cross-border jihad, governance challenges and Africa's role in the European migrant crisis.

On January 11, 2013, France launched a military operation to halt an offensive by al Qaeda-linked jihadist groups that had taken over much of northern Mali and threatened to sweep through the capital.

"France will always remain at Mali's side until the peace process is completed, until the Malian state can have its authority respected throughout Malian territory," Hollande said as the summit opened on Saturday.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was quick to praise Hollande's commitment. "Of all the French heads of state, François Hollande is the one whose dealings with Africa have been the most sincere and the most loyal," he said.

Hollande went on to hail the fact that "terrorists no longer control any [Malian] territory, democracy has returned and elections have taken place". But Mali nevertheless remains one of the world's most fragile states.

In a bid to help crush the jihadist threat, France has trained more than 20,000 African soldiers every year since 2013, according to a French diplomatic source. By 2020, the number of French-trained troops is expected to reach 25,000 a year. The training aims to minimise the need for future military interventions in African conflicts, such as those launched in Mali and the Central African Republic in 2013.

However, the situation in key nations such as Mali remains far from stable, where France's continued military presence is not welcomed by all.

Overshadowing the summit was an admission by the French defence ministry on Friday that French soldiers deployed to northern Mali had killed a child jihadist during a counter-terror operation in November.

According to the French-language magazine Jeune Afrique (Young Africa), the victim was buried in secret by the soldiers.

As the international community seeks an end to Gambia's political crisis, Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow readied to meet with world leaders at the summit. President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to cede power after disputing the result of a December 1 election that secured a victory for Barrow.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation regional bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote and step down after 22 years in power.

Jammeh has made it clear he will not stand aside until the country's Supreme Court rules on his legal challenge, which seeks to annul the result of last month's polls, which he had initially conceded.

Barrow flew to Bamako unexpectedly after holding crisis talks in Banjul with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Ghana's John Mahama. The delegation of West African heavyweights also met with Jammeh.

In a sign of Barrow's growing international clout, a French diplomatic source told AFP that President Hollande "intends to meet" with Barrow.

There are just four days now left in Jammeh's five-year term, but he warned the international community on Tuesday against "undue external interference".

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said on Friday that ECOWAS would ask the Security Council to approve the deployment of troops to Gambia if Jammeh refuses to cede power.

Many of the nations attending the gathering were once colonies of France, which in recent years has boosted its military involvement on the continent.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Rwandan leader Paul Kagame, who have a particularly tense relationship with Paris, are also present at the talks.

Discussions were also expected to focus on the repeated flouting of African constitutions in recent years. Kagame has altered the constitution to remove term limits, to the dismay of democracy advocates on the continent. Another concern for the summit is unrest in Democratic Republic of Congo, where President Joseph Kabila's refusal to step down has sparked a political crisis.</s>President-elect of Gambia Adama Barrow (L in blue) meets with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (R) Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (2-R) and outgoing Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in Banjul, Gambia on 13 December 2017. Photo: EPA

BANJUL - West African leaders flew out of Banjul late on Friday with The Gambia's president-elect, Adama Barrow, en route to Mali for crisis talks with regional heavyweights in hopes of ending the nation's political impasse.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari led a three-nation delegation to Banjul earlier in the day, which his foreign minister admitted had not succeeded in getting longtime Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to step down.

Jammeh has made clear he will not stand aside until the country's Supreme Court decides on his legal challenge seeking to annul the results of last month's polls, which he initially conceded losing.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote that delivered Barrow to victory, and step down after 22 years in power.

"The ECOWAS team has decided to depart Banjul tonight in the company of President-elect Barrow headed for Bamako, Mali," Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists.

Buhari, Ghana's former president John Mahama and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have spent the last month attempting to cajole Jammeh into ceding the presidency.

Onyeama expressed west Africa's "determination to find a peaceful solution that accords with the constitution of The Gambia and also reflects the will of the Gambian people," and said this was best served by Barrow meeting representatives from all ECOWAS member nations.

West African heads of state are gathered in Bamako for the Africa-France summit, which resumes on Saturday.

The African Union (AU) said there would be "serious consequences" for Jammeh, without elaborating, if violence or disorder were to break out as a result of the deadlock.

And Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said on Friday that ECOWAS would ask the security council to approve the deployment of troops to The Gambia if Jammeh refuses to cede power.

There are just five days left of Jammeh's five-year term, but he warned the international community on Tuesday that "undue external interference" was unnecessary.

The Supreme Court is unlikely to sit and hear his legal challenge before May, ratcheting up tensions with Barrow, whose inauguration is due on Thursday.

The prolonged political uncertainty and fear of unrest has pushed thousands of Gambians across the border into neighbouring Senegal and further afield to Guinea-Bissau.

Tibna Sambe Na Wana, the national coordinator for Guinea-Bissau's refugee commission, said more than 1,000 Gambians had crossed into the country, where they do not require a visa, in recent days.

"It is clear that the total number is far higher than 1,000 and rising daily," Na Wana said.

Women, children and the elderly made up the greatest numbers, the official said, with more than 500 passing one border post near the town of Jegue in three days.

"They say they are scared of a military escalation," Na Wana added.

In Senegal, the UN's refugee agency said "several thousand people" had crossed into the southern Casamance region from The Gambia, especially children.

Senegal and The Gambia have deep ethnic and linguistic ties, and most families have relatives living across the border.

"Most arrivals in Senegal are Gambians and Senegalese who have been working or living in The Gambia," said Liz Ahua, the UNHCR's representative for West Africa in Dakar, but added Africans from several other nations were also crossing.

A nation of fewer than two million people, The Gambia already accounts for the highest number of migrants per capita of any nationality crossing the Mediterranean on smugglers' boats to Italy.

The effects of the crisis were further scrutinised across the continent in Addis Ababa, where the AU declared it would no longer recognise President Jammeh as head of state on Thursday, 19 January, regardless of the Supreme Court case.

Citing "the inviolable nature of the outcome of the presidential elections held on 1 December 2016 in The Gambia," the AU called on Jammeh to respect the constitution and cede power to Barrow on that date.

Jammeh has said he wants to wait for the Supreme Court to sit and hear his case, but the Gambian Bar Association said Friday his term could not legally be extended except through a referendum altering the constitution.

The president has few allies and has faced almost universal condemnation for clinging to his post, though Nigerian MPs said on Thursday the country should consider offering him asylum.</s>Jammeh refuses to leave, Barrow flies out of country

President-elect Adama Barrow flew out of The Gambia late Friday to meet west African leaders attending a summit in Bamako with hopes of ending the country’s political crisis, Nigeria’s foreign minister said.

“The ECOWAS team has decided to depart Banjul tonight in the company of president-elect Barrow headed for Bamako, Mali,” Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists following crisis talks with Barrow and President Yahya Jammeh, who is refusing to leave power.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election that delivered Barrow to victory and step down after 22 years in power.

A three-nation delegation led by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari landed in Banjul Friday for a second attempt at getting Jammeh to leave, five days before the Gambian strongman’s mandate expires.

Onyeama expressed the bloc’s “determination to find a peaceful solution that accords with the Constitution of the Gambia and also reflects the will of the Gambian people.”

This, he said, would be best served by Barrow meeting representatives from all ECOWAS member nations.

West African heads of state are gathered in Bamako for the Africa-France summit which resumes Saturday.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for Banjul, the capital of The Gambia tomorrow.

He will later depart for Bamako, the Malian capital to participate in the 27th Africa-France Summit.

In Banjul, President Buhari, as the Mediator in The Gambia, is scheduled to meet with President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia and the President-elect Adama Barrow to continue dialogue on the political situation in the West African country.

The President will be joined by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and Chairperson of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone, and the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama, who is the co-meditator of The Gambian mission.

He will depart later for the Mali summit.

The Summit for Partnership, Peace and Emergence, convened by French President Francois Hollande, is aimed at strengthening cooperation between France and African countries in the areas of peace and security, economic partnership and development.

Recognising the role played by France in the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the regional initiative against terrorism, President Buhari will reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to global efforts on the war against terror and underline the need for improved collaboration to address the menace of terrorism in the region.

President Buhari will use the opportunity of the summit to underscore the efforts government is making to improve Nigeria’s business environment to attract more foreign direct investment.

The President will be accompanied by Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defence.</s>President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia and Bamako, the Malian capital from January 13 to 14, 2017. According to Adesina, in Banjul, Buhari, as the mediator in The Gambia, is scheduled to meet with President Yahya Jammeh and President-elect Adama Barrow to continue dialogue on the political situation in the West African country.

Start the conversation, or Read more at AllAfrica.com.</s>Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow met Saturday in Mali with world leaders trying to arrange a peaceful outcome of the West African country's leadership crisis.

Barrow was officially declared the winner of last month's election by a slim margin. Yahya Jammeh, who has been power in Gambia since a coup in 1994, originally accepted defeat but reversed himself and filed suit to challenge the results, citing voting irregularities.

The presidents of France and Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Francois Hollande, both called on Jammeh to step down when his current five-year term of office ends during the coming week.

Jammeh, however, has said he intends to remain in office until Gambia's Supreme Court rules on his legal challenge to results of the December 1 vote. Informed observers in Banjul estimate it could take the court months to rule.

Barrow, attending the annual France-Africa summit in Bamako, said he was continuing to plan for his inauguration on Thursday.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS has placed its military force on standby to take action if Jammeh does not step down as scheduled.

Hollande said in Mali that Gambia's elections were credible and transparent, so the results "must be respected."

Mali's Keita said the reception Barrow was given at the France-Africa summit was "de facto recognition" of his legitimacy as Gambia's head of state. "I dare to hope that proverbial African wisdom will inspire our brother Yahya" to step down Thursday, he added.

Under Jammeh, the Gambian government has been accused of numerous rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture and forced disappearances.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and other regional leaders traveled to Banjul on Friday to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down peacefully, but no deal was reached.

Speaking about the ECOWAS high-level mission to the Gambian capital, the head of the U.N.'s office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, told the Security Council on Friday that there should be "no doubt about the determination of ECOWAS to use all necessary means, including force, to have the will of the Gambian people upheld."</s>Adama Barrow, the Gambian president-elect, has travelled to Mali's capital to meet leaders attending a summit jointly hosted by France in Mali, as uncertainty grows over Gambia's political crisis.

His visit to Bamako came after last-ditch attempts on Friday by a regional mediation team, led by Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, failed to persuade Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh to step down.

Jammeh had initially conceded defeat in a December 1 vote, but later reversed his position, lodging a legal case aimed at annulling the result and triggering new elections.

Barrow is scheduled to take office on January 19, but Jammeh has made clear he will not stand aside until the Supreme Court's decision. The ruling is unlikely to happen before May.

In a sign of Barrow's growing international clout, a French diplomatic source told AFP news agency that President Francois Hollande "intends to meet" Barrow, while the former estate agent was due to sit down with West African leaders to discuss his nation's future.

"Barrow's visit was a surprise, and nobody knows if he will really go back again to Gambia," Al Jazeera's Zeinebou Bent Erebih, reporting from the Africa-France summit in Bamako, said.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote and step down after 22 years in power.

ECOWAS has previously said it would stage a military intervention, led by neighbouring Senegal, if Jammeh failed to relinquish power - a move Jammeh has called a "declaration of war".

READ MORE: Exiled Gambians ponder return to troubled homeland

"The stakes are extremely high," said Bakary Darbo, former Gambian vice president, explaining that the "military muscle" built by Jammeh is likely to stand by the defiant leader.

"All indications point to a military intervention in the next few days or so," Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from Nigeria's capital, Abuja, said.

In coming days, the "focus will be on who will contribute troops now", he added.

"From all indications, [African leaders] could persuade the African Union (AU) and probably go to the United Nations to ensure that democracy and the rights of the people in Gambia are protected."

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said on Friday that ECOWAS would ask the Security Council to approve the deployment of troops to Gambia, if Jammeh refuses to cede power.

On Friday, the AU said it would cease to recognise Jammeh as Gambia's legitimate president and warned of "serious consequences" if his actions lead to political disorder and the "loss of innocent lives".</s>Photos: Buhari, other African leaders in crisis talks with Yahya Jamme

West African leaders flew out of Banjul late Friday with The Gambia’s president-elect Adama Barrow, en route to Mali for crisis talks with regional heavyweights in hopes of ending the nation’s political impasse.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari led a three-nation delegation to Banjul earlier in the day, which his foreign minister admitted had not succeeded in getting longtime Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to step down.

Jammeh has made clear he will not stand aside until the country’s Supreme Court decides on his legal challenge seeking to annul the results of last month’s polls, which he initially conceded losing.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote that delivered Barrow to victory, and step down after 22 years in power.

The post Photos: Buhari, other African leaders in crisis talks with Yahya Jamme appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Also, Like us on facebook</s>BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Gambia's political crisis took center stage on Saturday at a summit in Mali, where leaders said they hope that Gambia's longtime leader will step down peacefully when the president-elect is to take office next week.

More than 30 African heads of state, and the French president, met in Bamako, Mali to discuss the fight against extremism, France's role on the continent and government challenges.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said much of the summit's focus was on the West African country of Gambia, where President Yahya Jammeh has said he will not give up power after 22 years, despite a vote that saw the opposition coalition's Adama Barrow win.

In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Gambia President, Yahya Jammeh, left, speaks with Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, upon arrival in Banjul Gambia, Friday Jan.13, 2017. Nigeria's president was leading a regional delegation to Gambia in a last-ditch attempt Friday to persuade its longtime leader to step down and allow his rival's inauguration next week, while fears grow that the impasse could turn violent. (Bayo Omoboriowo/Nigeria State House via AP)

Leaders from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, said no deal had been reached Friday after mediation efforts in Gambia. The bloc has said it would consider military action if Jammeh does not step down. Barrow, who was flown to Mali to meet with French President Francois Hollande and regional leaders, has said Jammeh could be considered a rebel leader after Jan. 19, when his inauguration will take place.

President Keita, who spoke at the summit's end, said ECOWAS, and much of Africa, hopes that "the torch will peacefully be passed on."

Hollande said Dec. 1 election results must be respected, pointing out that Gambia's president-elect was welcomed to the summit.

"Everything must be done so that on Jan. 18, or effectively by Jan. 19, he can take office," Hollande said.

Hollande said French troops would remain in Mali to help combat al-Qaida-linked extremists.

France has helped train more than 20,000 African soldiers a year since 2013, when it led an operation that pushed extremists from northern Mali strongholds. Hollande said it now aims to train more than 25,000 soldiers a year for three years. He also promised increased development project funds.</s>President orders army to commence security exercise in Southern Kaduna House wants Nigeria to offer asylum to Gambian president

Tobi Soniyi, Damilola Oyedele and Paul Obi in Abuja

 President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, and Bamako, the Malian capital from today, January 13 to 14, 2017.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who announced this yesterday via a statement said while in Banjul, Buhari, as the Mediator in The Gambia, would meet with President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia and the President-elect, Adama Barrow, to continue dialogue on the political situation in the West African country.

The statement said Buhari would be joined by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and Chairperson of the Authority of Economic Community Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government, President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone, and the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama, who is the co-meditator of The Gambian mission.

Adesina said Buhari would travel to Bamako later on January 13 to participate in the 27th Africa–France Summit.

 The summit for Partnership, Peace and Emergence convened by French President Francois Hollande is aimed at strengthening cooperation between France and African countries in the areas of peace and security, economic partnership and development.

Recognising the role played by France in the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the regional initiative against terrorism, Adesina said Buhari would reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to global efforts on the war against terror and underline the need for improved collaboration to address the menace of terrorism in the region.

He said Buhari would use the opportunity of the summit to underscore the efforts government was making to improve Nigeria’s business environment to attract more foreign direct investment.

Adesina said the president would be accompanied by Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defence.

Meanwhile, ahead of the ECOWAS mediation meeting today with President Buhari, the House of Representatives yesterday urged president to provide an offer of asylum in Nigeria to President Jammeh as a way to boost mediation into the current presidential conundrum threatening to cause unrest in the coastal committee.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Sani Zorro (Jigawa APC) who said such open offer would strengthen the hands of the mediators.

“Grant him asylum, and his family, if that would restore peace to The Gambia, if that is what it would take, then Nigeria should be ready for it,” Zorro said.

 The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, said the motion is in line with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.

Nigeria would be required to intervene and solve whatever problems arise from the impasses, Ukeje said, adding that creating a soft landing through asylum, may provide an alternative.

 “If it comes to this, so that The Gambia does not degenerate into another unstable African country,” she said.

 Some lawmakers opposed the motion on grounds that the offer would send a wrong signal to dictators with sit-tight syndrome.

The Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, however urged such lawmakers to critically examine their position, noting that the offer of asylum to Jammeh does not indicate support for dictatorship.

 “If it is put before him and he rejects it, fine, but it will clear that the people of Nigeria, through the parliament offered such.”

“If crises erupts in that country and refugees spill over, can we handle it while also dealing with our IDPs? If it comes to confrontation, Nigeria will be required to put boots on the ground. Can we afford that? Our military is already engaged in the North-east, in the Niger Delta and now in Southern Kaduna. So let us be guided,” Dogara advised.

Hon. Sam Onuigbu (Abia PDP) said the offer is a cheaper and safer option, as Nigerians are well invested in Gambia.

 “We did a similar thing in Liberia, and today Liberia is being celebrated as a growing democracy. We all know if there is trouble, Nigeria would be required to intervene,” he said.

The Minister for Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has said there is no decision yet on whether Nigeria will deploy forces to The Gambia should President Jammeh refuses to step down on January 19 when his mandate would have expired.

 Dan-Ali made this disclosure yesterday while briefing State House Correspondents after a lengthy security meeting he and service chiefs had with the president at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.

The minister said that the meeting deliberated on the security situation in the country.

 He said: “Major security issue were discussed and we were able to come to conclusion on almost all the crises that are going on across the country. The Southern Kaduna, the Niger Delta issues and other major crisis areas were discussed and resolutions were passed.

“Like I said, in the Southern Kaduna, we have our troops being moved and they have already taken places, operation is going on and I believe that very soon it will come to an end.”

Asked whether the meeting discussed The Gambia issue, the minister said “That is not a national issue and I believe the ECOWAS are working on that, we have not reached any conclusion on that.”

Also speaking, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Tukur Buratai, said the president had ordered the commencement of an army exercise code-named ‘Kunama II’ in Southern Kaduna in order to bolster the security situation in that axis.

Buratai explained that the exercise would cover parts of Plateau and Kano States.

 He added that the army was still pursuing all its operations in the North-east, South-south and South-eastern parts of the country.

Asked about the progress report from Sambisa, Buratai said: “We are continuing our operations in that area, Lafiya Dole mandate and the troops are still moving all over the area.”

On whether he had received any new directive from the president, the COAS said.

 On deployment of troops to Kaduna, he said “Our troops are already in Southern Kaduna. We have our special forces operating there along with all other security agencies and we intend also to have an exercise very soon in Southern Kaduna to cover some parts of Plateau and indeed part of Kano State.

Also, in a move to douse tension, the Nigerian Army, has said it was not planning to attack any foreign country, neither the Republic of Gambia, where President Buhari is expected in the West African nation today.

 The clarification came amid speculations of a possible military intervention by ECOWAS to be spearheaded by Nigeria should the outgoing President Jammeh failed to relinquish power after losing in last year presidential polls.

According to Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, there was no iota of truth in such statement.

 He said: The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication by online news organisation’ indicating the readiness of Nigerian Army to attack Gambia with the intention “to remove Jammeh.”

Usman added: “This is not true. Consequently, Nigerian Army wishes to disassociate itself from such false information that exists only in the figment of the imagination of the medium. There was no time or place Nigerian Army disclosed such information to the medium.

“If there is any, we challenge them to name the officer or soldier that gave them such information and when. For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerian Army is not planning to attack any country.

 “It should be noted that such reckless and unprofessional conduct is not expected of any reputable and responsible news medium as it is inimical to national security.”

Usman further stated: “The publication apart from being false in its entirety, it is unethical and capable of endangering the lives of Nigerians in diaspora.

 “The medium is please requested to always clarify such matters affecting national security and diplomatic issues that may endanger the safety and security of Nigerians abroad to avoid such misleading and embarrassing publication,” he maintained.
President-elect Adama Barrow travels to the Malian capital of Bamako to meet with world leaders after yesterday's failed attempts at persuading incumbent president Yahya Jammeh to step down at the end of his term.