Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won an election last month.

State television said the emergency would prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court rules on Jammeh's petition challenging the election result.

That suggests Jammeh will stay in power beyond Thursday, when Barrow was due to be sworn in as president.

Regional leaders have threatened to intervene militarily if Jammeh does not step down and on Tuesday a senior Nigerian army source said Nigeria and other West African states were preparing a military force.

"I...hereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia," Jammeh's declaration said.

The state of emergency banned "acts of disobedience" and "acts intended to disturb public order".

Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 as only the second president since Gambia's independence in 1965 and his government gained a reputation for torturing and killing perceived opponents, rights groups say. In 2015, he declared that the country was an Islamic Republic.

Pro-democracy activists across Africa welcomed his defeat and his refusal to step down has provoked an internal crisis as well as a test of mettle for regional leaders.

Gambia's top judge on Monday declined to rule on Jammeh's election petition and in a political blow to the president, the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned, according to ministry sources.

The Nigerian source said that defense chiefs of staff of West African countries met on Monday to discuss strategies to remove Jammeh.

"Some West African countries will be contributing troops, including Nigeria, for the operation," said the source, adding that the United Nations and African Union had offered support to regional body ECOWAS for the plan.

State television said on Monday Finance Minister Abdou Kolley was being replaced by Benjamin Roberts, the Minister of Tourism. Finance ministry sources said on Tuesday Roberts had also resigned.

Ministry sources said other government figures, including Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, had left the government and the country. The mayor of the capital Banjul has also resigned, according to sources at the city council.

Hundreds of Gambians have fled into Senegal, Gambia's only neighbor, fearing for their safety because of the turmoil, and Senegalese authorities have increased security. Barrow is also in Senegal, his aides say.

"We are scared. There are soldiers with guns all the time," said Awa Sanneh, 25, from Birkama in Gambia, who was leaving with two children and 24 other family members.

One of the smallest countries in Africa, Gambia is reliant on tourism and one main crop, peanuts, to fuel its economy.</s>Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh has declared a state of emergency, just two days before he is supposed to cede power after losing elections last month.

Mr Jammeh is refusing to step down despite international pressure and the threat by other West African nations of a military intervention.

The 90-day state of emergency was announced on state television on Tuesday and will begin immediately.

Mr Jammeh is blaming what he calls the unprecedented level of foreign involvement in Gambia's election.</s>Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>Two days before Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is supposed to cede power, he has declared a state of emergency in the country. He has refused to step down to make way for Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

It wasn't immediately clear what the state of emergency entailed, but the move appeared to make a handover of power even more unlikely.

Barrow, a businessman, is scheduled to take office Thursday. But Jammeh has defiantly said he won't allow that to happen. In a televised speech on Sunday, he said he has filed an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in until a Supreme Court ruling.

"Until then, the status quo remains," Jammeh said, calling on Gambians to carry on with their everyday activities.

Any court decision could take months, The Associated Press reports. The chief justice has "recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh's request for an injunction blocking Barrow's inauguration."

International and regional demands have grown for Jammeh to cede power. "West African leaders have not ruled out using force if Jammeh refuses to go," NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Barrow is currently in neighboring Senegal for his own protection. And the president-in-waiting experienced a family tragedy on Sunday – his 8-year-old son died in Gambia after sustaining a dog bite, Ofeibea reports.

"Our lives are so full of responsibility that we sometimes forget to spend time with those who love us the most," Barrow wrote in a statement on Twitter. "Family is the most precious and sacred gift of all — never leave your family behind."

Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Barrow after the election in early December, and it appeared that Gambia was poised to complete its first-ever peaceful transfer of power since independence.

But Jammeh dramatically changed his tune a week later, when he claimed that the election result was void because of "irregularities." Troops loyal to him then moved into the electoral commission headquarters after the commission head maintained that Barrow was the winner.

Several members of Jammeh's cabinet have also resigned, according to the AP. The BBC reports that thousands of Gambians fearing violence have fled to Senegal.</s>A state of emergency has been declared in The Gambia two days before the presidential inauguration.

President Jammeh said the 90-day state of emergency was called as a result of "the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference" in the December election.

After his surprise defeat to Adama Barrow, President Jammeh refused to accept the election result and step down. The country is on lockdown after six cabinet ministers handed in their resignation and Barrow fled to Senegal. Despite mounting pressure from other West African nations and the threat of military intervention, Jammeh said he would not step down.

The Gambia is a popular winter holiday destination for Britons and other Europeans. A spokesperson for Thomas Cooke said: "We currently have 985 UK package customers on holiday there. We maintain reserve aircraft and crew so we have the flexibility to respond swiftly for our customers should we need to."

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "President Jammeh needs to respect the will of the Gambian people and step aside to allow the inauguration to take place on 19 January 2017."

She urged British travellers in the region to remain vigilant: "Tensions may increase in the build up to the inauguration on 19 January. This may include the short notice closure of Banjul International Airport."
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declares a 90-day state of emergency a day before his mandate ends.