With less than a week to the end of the tenure of President Yahya Jammeh, of Gambia, he has put in motion another ploy to extend his stay.

This time, his political party has filed a request with the Supreme Court for an injunction aimed at blocking the swearing in of his rival, Adama Barrow, who won the 1 December election.

The petition was filed on Thursday.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, confirmed receipt of the petition, which was filed by Jammeh’s Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC).

“It is filed today with the court registrar,” said Fagbenle, who did not say when a decision on the petition might be made.

Barrow, who won the poll and has received the support of the international community, has said he will go ahead with his inauguration on Jan. 19 despite Jammeh’s rejection of the result.

Aziz Bensouda, the secretary general of the Gambia Bar Association, said an injunction would be unconstitutional.

“The inauguration of the president-elect should be held when Jammeh’s term officially ends. The court does not have any mandate to put an inauguration on hold,” he said.

The election defeat of Jammeh, a former coup leader, after 22 years of increasingly authoritarian rule was celebrated across the tiny West African nation, and the incumbent initially accepted the result.

However, in a U-turn a week later that drew international condemnation, he denounced what he claimed was widespread fraud.

The APRC filed a challenge to the poll results, but the Supreme Court was unable to hear the petition on Tuesday after several judges failed to show up.

The Supreme Court, which rights campaigners say is heavily influenced by Jammeh, has not sat in over a year. Two chief justices have been dismissed since 2013. One of them was jailed.

The court hired four foreign judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone to hear Jammeh’s appeal. Legal sources said this week that the judges had not yet arrived in Gambia.

Regional bloc ECOWAS has sought to negotiate Jammeh’s peaceful departure and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is leading a mediation mission to Gambia today.

On Thursday, Nigeria’s lower house of parliament approved a motion to authorise Buhari to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down.

However, ECOWAS has also hinted at possible military action if he stays beyond the end of his term in office next week, raising the prospect of violence.

The U.S. Department of State, which has already advised against travel to Gambia, warned American citizens on Thursday to avoid the capital Banjul’s city centre. Embassy staff were required to be off the streets by 6 p.m. (1800 GMT) until further notice.

The question of whether Gambia can install opposition figure Adama Barrow as president is seen as a test case for African democracy.</s>DAKAR, Senegal — 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.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been authorized to offer Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asylum, if necessary, during the visit.

The West African regional bloc also has a military force on standby to intervene if Jammeh does not step down when his mandate expires Jan. 19.

Jammeh at first accepted his Dec. 1 election loss, even making a telephone call to concede on national television, but then changed his mind and declared that "only Allah" can deny him victory. His party is now contesting the results in court.

Fears are growing that the impasse will turn violent in this tiny country of 1.9 million people that is nearly surrounded by Senegal.

President-elect Adama Barrow is renewing his offer to Jammeh for direct discussions on the crisis, telling the BBC that "I'll be very willing to talk to him directly."

The court challenge to the election results shows complications. Gambia's Supreme Court, short of judges, has said it might not be able to consider the challenge until May, and Jammeh says Gambia should await its decision.

Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 and is accused of gross rights violations including arbitrary detentions, torture and the killings of opponents.

Jammeh might be wary of a Nigerian promise of safe haven. Nigeria offered asylum to Liberian warlord Charles Taylor in 2003 to help end the civil war he started in 1989, but it was forced by international pressure to hand Taylor over in 2006 for trial for war crimes committed in Sierra Leone. Taylor was convicted in 2013 and is serving a 50-year sentence in a British prison.</s>The African Union will cease to recognise Yahya Jammeh as president of The Gambia should he refuse to stand down by January 19, the date he is due to hand over power to the winner of that country presidential election.The AU’s Peace and Security Council in a statement on Friday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, also warned of “serious consequences in the event that his action causes any crisis that could lead to political disorder, humanitarian and human rights disaster, including loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties.”The warning came on a day President Muhammadu Buhari was due in Banjul at the head of an ECOWAS delegation to persuade Jammeh to step down.Yahya’s political party, in the latest gambit, has gone to court to halt the inauguration of Adama Barrow, on the basis that Jammeh’s challenge of the electoral result, has not been decided by the country’s Supreme Court.The case was adjourned for months, because the court could not form a quorum.Barrow’s party pledged on Friday that Jammeh would be honoured as a former head of state if he steps down and suggested he might not face trial for alleged crimes during his 22 years in power.</s>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.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been authorized to offer Gambian President Yahya Jammeh asylum, if necessary, during the visit.

The West African regional bloc also has a military force on standby to intervene if Jammeh does not step down when his mandate expires Jan. 19.

Jammeh at first accepted his Dec. 1 election loss, even making a telephone call to concede on national television, but then changed his mind and declared that "only Allah" can deny him victory. His party is now contesting the results in court.

President-elect Adama Barrow is renewing his offer to Jammeh for direct discussions on the crisis, telling the BBC that "I'll be very willing to talk to him directly."

The court challenge to the election results shows complications. Gambia's Supreme Court, short of judges, has said it might not be able to consider the challenge until May, and Jammeh says Gambia should await its decision.

Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 and is accused of gross rights violations including arbitrary detentions, torture and the killings of opponents in this tiny country of 1.9 million people that is nearly surrounded by Senegal.

Jammeh might be wary of a Nigerian promise of safe haven. Nigeria offered asylum to Liberian warlord Charles Taylor in 2003 to help end the civil war he started in 1989, but it was forced by international pressure to hand Taylor over in 2006 for trial for war crimes committed in Sierra Leone. Taylor was convicted in 2013 and is serving a 50-year sentence in a British prison.</s>Johannesburg - The tiny nation of Gambia has West Africa on the brink of a military intervention, and thousands are fleeing the country.

Longtime President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to step down after losing elections. On Thursday, President-elect Adama Barrow intends to go through with his inauguration, with the support of the international community.

Here's a look at the crisis.

At first, Jammeh stunned Gambians by conceding his election loss on live television.

A week later, he announced he had changed his mind, saying "only Allah" could deny him victory.

After taking power more than 22 years ago in a bloodless coup, Jammeh has been accused of leading a government that detains, tortures and even kills opponents.

He is no stranger to striking declarations: In late 2015, he abruptly announced Gambia to be an Islamic republic. In 2013, he decided to leave the Commonwealth.

A legal challenge ,but is there a court?

Jammeh's ruling party is challenging the December 1 election results, saying there were irregularities in the vote, but the country's Supreme Court says it could take months to act because it is short of judges.

Jammeh has invited judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone to complete the court, but that is not expected to happen until May.

It is not clear what will happen if Barrow is inaugurated next week and the court later decides in Jammeh's favor.

An attempt on Friday by West African leaders to persuade Jammeh to change his mind and step down failed.

Though diplomatic efforts continue, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has a standby military force ready to enter Gambia if Jammeh doesn't cede power when his mandate ends on Thursday.

If the use of force is necessary, Ecowas will seek the endorsement of the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council to deploy the troops, the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, said on Friday.



Gambia, a nation of 1.9 million people, is estimated to have an army of just 900 troops.

If Jammeh doesn't step down on Thursday, whether peacefully or not - he briefly sent troops to occupy the electoral commission office during the crisis - the African Union will cease to recognise him as Gambia's legitimate leader, the AU's Peace and Security Council said on Friday.</s>Yahya Jammeh, long-time president of The Gambia, looks set to be caught in diplomatic cross-hairs with the African Union. After rejecting the results of the December elections which he lost, after initially accepting them with a concession speech on state TV, Jammeh is battling to cling on to power.

But after a meting in Addis Ababa today (Jan. 13), African Union’s Peace and Security Council announced it will no longer recognize Jammeh as president of Gambia after Jan. 19, the intended date for the inauguration of president-elect, Adama Barrow.

Disputing the election results due to anomalies, Jammeh has filed a petition with Gambia’s Supreme Court. However, due to a shortage of judges to hear the petition, the Supreme Court postponed hearing the petition until May, four months after the Jan. 19 handover date. As a result, Jammeh has said he will remain in office till then.

But in a stern statement, AU has warned of “serious consequences” if Jammeh’s insistence on hanging on to power “causes any crisis that could lead to political disorder, humanitarian and human rights disaster, including loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties.” AU’s announcement, possibly a pretext for the possible deployment of troops, is similar to the declaration by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that military force is an option should Jammeh stay on.

There’s one more chance for a diplomatic solution though as ECOWAS leaders are currently in The Gambia to foster talks for a peace resolution of the impasse. Should that happen, then on Jan. 19, for the first time ever, The Gambia will witness its first ever peaceful handover of power.

Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief — the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.</s>The Political Party of Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh, filed a request on Friday with the Supreme Court for an injunction aimed at blocking the swearing in of his rival.

Jammeh lost an election last month and has refused to accept his defeat.

The question of whether Gambia can install opposition figure Adama Barrow as president is seen as a test case for African democracy in a region accustomed to coups and political unrest.

Barrow, who won the poll and has received the support of the international community, has said he will go ahead with his inauguration on Jan. 19 despite Jammeh’s rejection of the result.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, confirmed receipt of the petition, which was filed by Jammeh’s Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC).

“It is filed today with the court registrar,’’ said Fagbenle, who did not say when a decision on the petition might be made.

Aziz Bensouda, the secretary general of the Gambia Bar Association, said an injunction would be unconstitutional.

“The inauguration of the president-elect should be held when Jammeh’s term officially ends the court does not have any mandate to put an inauguration on hold,’’ he said.

The election defeat of Jammeh, a former coup leader, after 22 years of increasingly authoritarian rule was celebrated across the tiny West African nation, and the incumbent initially accepted the result.

However, in a u-turn a week later that drew international condemnation, he denounced what he claimed was widespread fraud.

The APRC filed a challenge to the poll results, but the Supreme Court was unable to hear the petition after several judges failed to show up.

The Supreme Court, which rights campaigners say is heavily influenced by Jammeh, has not sat in over a year.

Two chief justices have been dismissed since 2013 and one of them was jailed.

The court hired four foreign judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone to hear Jammeh’s appeal legal sources said that the judges had not yet arrived in Gambia.

Regional bloc ECOWAS has sought to negotiate Jammeh’s peaceful departure and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is leading a mediation mission to Gambia.

Nigeria’s lower house of parliament approved a motion to authorise Buhari to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down.

However, ECOWAS has also hinted at possible military action if he stays beyond the end of his term in office next week, raising the prospect of violence.

The U.S. Department of State, which has already advised against travel to Gambia, warned American citizens to avoid the capital Banjul’s city centre.

Embassy staff was required to be off the streets by 6 p.m. (1800 GMT) until further notice. – NAN.</s>DAKAR, SENEGAL—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.Fears, meanwhile, are growing that the impasse over President Yahya Jammeh’s status could turn violent.The African Union announced it will cease to recognize Jammeh as Gambia’s legitimate leader as of Thursday, when his mandate expires. The decision by the AU’s Peace and Security Council warns Jammeh of serious consequences if his actions lead to the “loss of innocent lives” and calls on Gambia’s security forces to exercise restraint.As the international community looks for a peaceful way out of the crisis in the West African nation, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been authorized to offer Jammeh asylum, if necessary, during Friday’s visit.But the West African regional bloc also has a military force on standby to intervene if Jammeh does not step down. A Nigerian army memo, dated Wednesday and seen by The Associated Press, orders officers to prepare a battalion of 800 troops for a possible military intervention in Gambia.Article Continued BelowJammeh at first accepted his Dec. 1 election loss, even making a telephone call to concede on national television, but then changed his mind and declared that “only Allah” can deny him victory. His party is now contesting the result in court.President-elect Adama Barrow has renewed his offer to talk with Jammeh, telling the BBC that “I’ll be very willing to talk to him directly.”Gambia’s Supreme Court, short of judges, has said it might not be able to consider the vote challenge until May, and Jammeh says Gambia should await its decision.</s>A delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Ghana’s John Mahama has failed to resolve the political impasse in The Gambia.

Incumbent President, Yahya Jammeh lost the presidential elections on December 1 to Adama Barrow and initially conceded defeat. Less than a week later, Jammeh insisted that the elections were fraught with irregularities and said he would stay in power.

Efforts to resolve the political tussle at the supreme court have proved pointless, largely because Gambia’s Supreme court does not have enough justices. The ECOWAS delegation which included Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf were unable to extract firm promises from Jammeh in two meetings.

It means that ECOWAS may resort to military intervention, an approach which the organisation has shied away from.</s>The party of Gambia’s President-elect Adama Barrow has said President Yahya Jammeh would be honoured as a former head of state if he stepped down and suggested he might not face trial for alleged crimes during his 22 years in power.

Jammeh, whose authoritarian rule began after a 1994 coup, lost the Dec. 1 election to Barrow by a slim margin. He initially conceded defeat but a week later contested the results and called for another poll. He now refuses to give up power. The question of whether Gambia can install Barrow as president is seen as a test case for African democracy in a region accustomed to coups and autocratic rule.

Watch what else is in the news

Jammeh’s mandate runs out on Jan. 18, after which Barrow plans to be sworn in. Barrow told the BBC on Friday: “We want to keep Jammeh in the Gambia. I don’t think there is any need for him to go to another country.” In an apparent bid to ease increasing tensions in Gambia by persuading Jammeh to step aside, a senior member of Barrow’s coalition, Mai Ahmad Fatty, said Jammeh would be entitled to the usual benefits afforded past heads of state, including an office of his choosing, bodyguards and luxury vehicles.

“We want to give him all the privileges of a former head of state,” Fatty said late on Thursday, adding that the party would like Jammeh to be someone it could call on for counsel. Jammeh’s predecessor, Dawda Jawara, fled the country when he was deposed in a bloodless coup and lived in exile until Jammeh granted him amnesty in 2001.

Fatty said the opposition is not pursuing legal action against Jammeh, whose rule has been marred by the imprisonment and torture of opponents, rights groups say. Critics have called for his immediate prosecution once Barrow takes over. “If there are any crimes against President Jammeh, we cannot say so because the crimes must be proven in a court of law. But at the moment, we are not talking about that,” he said.

Nigeria’s lower house on Thursday voted to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down as Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari prepared to return to Gambia on Friday to persuade him to stand down.
The African Union says it will cease to recognize Yahya Jammeh as President of The Gambia on January 19, the date he is to hand power over to his opponent Adama Barrow, who won last year's election.