DAKAR, Senegal -- Gambia's ruler of more than 22 years announced late Friday that he no longer accepted defeat in his country's presidential election, reversing course a week after he conceded to his rival.

In a speech on state television, President Yahya Jammeh said that investigations have since revealed a number of voting irregularities that he called unacceptable.

"I hereby reject the results in totality," he said in his address, which aired late Friday. "I will not accept the results, based on what has happened."

A week ago, a jovial Jammeh was filmed on state television calling opposition candidate Adama Barrow to wish him the best.

"You are the elected president of The Gambia, and I wish you all the best," Jammeh told Barrow at the time. "I have no ill will."

The dramatic about-face was certain to spark anger among the opposition and the tens of thousands of Gambians living in exile abroad. Already in the week since he had been defeated, several dozen political prisoners had been released on bond.

A tiny country of 1.9 million people surrounded almost entirely by Senegal, Gambia has become notorious for its abysmal human-rights record as well as the president's erratic behavior.

The Jammeh regime has long been accused of imprisoning, torturing and killing its opponents, according to human-rights groups.

In 2007, Jammeh claimed to have developed a cure for AIDS that involved an herbal body rub and bananas. Alarming public health experts, he insisted patients stop taking antiretroviral medications so his remedy could have an effect.

He also has increasingly isolated Gambia, whose economy has long been dependent on tourism. In 2013 he exited the Commonwealth, a group made up mostly of former British colonies, branding it a "neocolonial institution." And in October, Jammeh said Gambia would leave the International Criminal Court, which he dismissed as the 'International Caucasian Court.'"</s>Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, seen in 2014, rejected his election defeat only a week after conceding to opponent President-elect Adama Barrow. By ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Saturday demanded that Gambia's leader Yahya Jammeh hand over power to the president-elect after he rejected the election results in a dramatic political U-turn.

In a unanimous statement, the 15 council members called on Jammeh to "respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, as he did on December 2 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow."</s>The United Nations Security Council on Saturday condemned Gambia President Yahya Jammeh's rejection of election results announced last week that saw him lose power after 22 years, and it urged all parties to refrain from violence.

"(Security Council members) called on him to respect the choice of the sovereign People of The Gambia, as he did on 2 December 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr. Adama Barrow," it said in a statement.</s>Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh said on Friday he rejects the outcome of last week’s election that he lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow and called for fresh elections.

The announcement made on state television throws the future of the West African country into doubt after an unexpected election result that ended Jammeh’s 22-year rule and was widely seen as a moment of democratic hope.

“After a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election. I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities which have reportedly transpired during the electoral process,” Jammeh said.

“I recommend fresh and transparent elections which will be officiated by a god-fearing and independent electoral commission,” he said.

Human rights groups said Jammeh’s government detained, tortured and killed opponents during his rule and his defeat sparked wild celebrations. But some people also said they doubted whether he would accept defeat.

Official election results from the electoral commission gave Barrow, a real estate developer who once worked as a security guard at retailer Argos in London, 45.5 percent of the vote against Jammeh’s 36.7 percent.

Barrow is set to take over in late January following a transition period.</s>Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh said on Friday he would not recognise the results of December 1 elections and called for fresh polls, a week after he conceded defeat.

"In the same way that I accepted the results faithfully believing that the Independent Electoral Commission was independent and honest and reliable, I hereby reject the results in totality," he said in a statement broadcast on state television.

"Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened," he said, condemning "unacceptable errors" on the part of electoral authorities and calling for a new vote.

Jammeh pointed to an accounting error, identified by the IEC, which awarded victory to his opponent Adama Barrow but with a slimmer margin than initially announced.

Latest official figures gave Barrow 43.29 percent of the votes in the presidential election, while Jammeh took 39.64 percent. The turnout was at 59 percent.

Jammeh claimed "investigations" had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots.

"This is the most dubious election we ever had in the history of this country," he said.

"We will go back to the polls because I want to make sure every Gambian votes under an electoral commission that is impartial, independent, neutral and free from foreign influence," he said, adding that he would not tolerate any street protests over his decision.

The announcement upends the situation in the west African nation, where the population had been hoping for a peaceful democratic transition after Barrow's shock victory this month looked set to end Jammeh's 22 years in power.

On December 2, Jammeh made a magnanimous concession speech on television and promised -- to general shock and surprise -- a peaceful and swift handover of power to President-elect Barrow.

On Thursday, Barrow vowed to set up a South Africa-style truth commission and said that the country's chief of defence staff had called to pledge the military's backing.

But pressure to prosecute Jammeh and top figures in his administration, who have been accused of widespread human rights violations, is one of the key challenges facing the new government.

In an interview with French media December 3, Barrow ruled out a "witch hunt" and said that his predecessor would be able to "live in Gambia like any ordinary citizen".

Dozens of opposition activists who had been detained since April for holding protests were granted bail this week, with the lawyer noting they were members of the United Democratic Party (UDP), of which Barrow was the presidential candidate.

UDP founder and leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, was freed on bail with 18 others on Monday, as part of their ongoing appeal against three-year sentences.</s>President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia gestures before casting his marble in a polling station in Banjul during the election on December 1, 2016. He conceded defeat to the opposition but on December 9 changed his mind and rejected the poll outcome. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Gambia has been thrown into a state of anxiety and confusion after long serving leader Yahya Jammeh annulled last week’s presidential election result, citing irregularities.

President Jammeh, in a surprise announcement on state TV Friday evening, called for a rerun of the poll that was won by opposition candidate Adama Barrow. He alleged that the election had been rigged in favour of the opposition and cited irregularities in the counting.

President Jammeh also said investigations by his party suggested that many of their voters were deliberately discouraged from casting their ballots.

“After a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election,” he said in a statement aired on the Gambia Radio and Television Services.

“I recommend fresh and transparent elections which will be officiated by a God-fearing and independent electoral commission.”

Mr Barrow, backed by a coalition of seven parties, won the three-man race on on December 1 with 43 per cent of the total votes cast, against president Jammeh’s 40 per cent.

The new president was expected to be inaugurated at the end of January 2017.

A spokesman for the coalition called for calm in a brief statement.

The head of the coalition transition team, Mr Mai Ahmed Fatty said: “We are working round the clock to restore sanity. The world is with us.”

In a strongly-worded statement, the Senegalese Foreign ministry also urged the Gambian authorities to respect the will of the people, calling on the regional blocs, Ecowas and the African Union, as well as the United Nation, to take all measures to protect the sovereignty of the Gambian people.</s>The African Union has condemned the Gambian leader’s sudden rejection of his election defeat as “null and void”, a week after the president jovially conceded to his rival Adama Barrow.

Yahya Jammeh said late on Friday that he no longer accepts defeat in the presidential election in the small West African nation, and rejects the results “in totality”.

The leader, whose 22-year rule has been marked by accusations of human rights abuses, said investigations since the December 1st vote revealed a number of voting irregularities.

The United States swiftly condemned Mr Jammeh’s rejection of the election results, calling it an attempt to remain in power illegitimately.

And neighbouring Senegal’s foreign minister Mankeur Ndiaye called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the situation.

The government in Senegal, which envelopes Gambia with its 1.9 million people except for its coastline, strongly condemned Mr Jammeh’s move and urged him to respect the election results.

The dramatic about-face was certain to spark outrage among the opposition and the tens of thousands who took to the streets after Mr Barrow was announced president-elect.

They shouted “freedom” and tore down posters of Mr Jammeh as security forces stood by.

Mr Barrow said Mr Jammeh had no constitutional authority to reject the results of the polls and call fresh elections. “I open up a channel of communication to convince him to facilitate a smooth transfer of executive powers in the supreme interest of this country,” he told reporters on Saturday.

The African Union statement stressed the urgent need for a peaceful transfer of power and called on security forces to remain neutral.

Mai Ahmad Fatty of the opposition Gambia Moral Congress, one of eight parties that backed Mr Barrow, said the coalition has the will of the people on its side.

“Remain calm. We are working round the clock to restore sanity. We have the full support of our people. The world is with us,” said Mr Fatty.

African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said Mr Jammeh’s statement was null and void, pointing out that he had already “publicly and gracefully recognized that the victory of president-elect Adama Barrow is the true expression of the will of the Gambian people.”

Just one week ago, Mr Jammeh was shown on state television calling Mr Barrow to wish him the best, saying he has no ill will.

Mr Jammeh, who seized power in a bloodless 1994 military coup, has long been accused of overseeing a government that imprisons, tortures and sometimes kill its opponents, according to human rights groups.</s>GAMBIAN leader Yahya Jammeh has rejected the result of the presidential election held earlier this month, a week after admitting defeat.

Speaking on state TV, Mr Jammeh cited “abnormalities” in the vote and called for fresh elections.

Mr Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994, suffered a shock defeat to Adama Barrow, who won more than 45 percent of the vote.

“This action is a reprehensible and unacceptable breach of faith with the people of The Gambia and an egregious attempt to undermine a credible election process and remain in power illegitimately,” said state department spokesman Mark Toner.

Mr Barrow, a property developer, is due to take office in late January. Mai Ahmad Fatty, the head of his transition team, told Reuters they were “consulting on what to do”, adding: “As far as we are concerned, the people have voted. We will maintain peace and stability and not let anyone provoke us into violence.”

The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, with a population of fewer than two million.
• The man in charge for 22 years

Mr Jammeh said that he now rejected the results of the election “in totality”.

“After a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election,” Mr Jammeh said.

“I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities which have reportedly transpired during the electoral process.

“I recommend fresh and transparent elections which will be officiated by a God-fearing and independent electoral commission.”

Yahya Jammeh appeared on state TV brandishing a document supposedly proving irregularities when the votes were tallied last week.

Mr Jammeh said the results were unacceptable. He said figures had been transposed swelling the number of votes in favour of his opponent, Adama Barrow, whom he recognised as president-elect live on television after the election results were announced.

Over the past week people have been celebrating the end of his 22-year-long rule but tonight The Gambia’s future looks uncertain again.

The government in neighbouring Senegal condemned the move and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye, speaking on national television, urged President Jammeh to respect the election result.

A Human Rights Watch spokesman also said it was “deeply concerned”.

“The international community, notably [regional bloc] Ecowas and the African Union, should loudly protest any unlawful attempt to subvert the will of the Gambian people,” said Babatunde Olugboji, deputy programme director.

The streets of the capital, Banjul, were reported to be calm on Friday night although soldiers were seen placing sandbags in strategic locations across the city, AFP news agency reports.

Only last week, Mr Jammeh was shown on state TV calling Mr Barrow to wish him well.

“You are the elected president of The Gambia, and I wish you all the best. I have no ill will,” he said at the time.

According to the electoral commission, the result of the vote on 1 December was:

In his 22 years in power, Mr Jammeh acquired a reputation as a ruthless leader.

Ahead of the election, Human Rights Watch accused him of using violence to silence critics. The group said two activists had died in custody and dozens of people had been jailed and denied medical or legal help. bbc.com

Follow us on Twitter on @FingazLive and on Facebook – The Financial Gazette</s>Long-ruling Jammeh on Friday called for another election in the tiny West African country after narrowly losing to opposition leader Adama Barrow, jeopardising what was expected to be Gambia's first democratic transition of power in over 50 years. He had conceded defeat publicly last week.

The announcement on state television threw the future of the country of 1.8 million into doubt after the unexpected election result ended Jammeh's authoritarian 22-year rule. It had been widely seen as a moment of democratic hope and a chance to end repression in a country known as a police state.

"The outgoing president has no constitutional authority to reject the result of the election and order for fresh elections to be held," Barrow told reporters in Banjul following an emergency meeting under high security.

"I open up a channel of communication to convince him to facilitate a smooth transfer of executive powers in the supreme interest of this country," he said.

The streets of Banjul were calm on Saturday, although some residents said they were staying at home for fear of violence. A strong police presense remained on the streets.

Under chapter 5 of Gambia's constitution, candidates have 10 days from the declaration of the results to appeal to the Supreme Court.

It was not immediately clear if Jammeh had done that.

As Gambians brace for a tense standoff, international criticism of Jammeh came in fast. Following the United States and Senegal, the African Union on Saturday weighed in, calling Jammeh's statement "null and void".

The U.N. and regional body ECOWAS called on the armed forces to stay neutral. Diplomats have voiced private concerns that a faction of security forces from Jammeh's Jola ethnic minority might protect Jammeh, potentially provoking broader conflict along ethnic lines.

Senegal, which has Gambia's only land border, has called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and "solemnly" warned Jammeh not to harm Senegal's interests or its citizens in Gambia.

ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations called jointly for all parties to "reject violence and peacefully uphold the will of the people".

But in a sign that early mediation efforts are floundering, Senegal's foreign minister said that Gambian authorities had refused entry to the chair of regional body ECOWAS.

"Johnson Sirleaf was supposed to fly in today, but Jammeh said 'not at the moment,'" Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye told Reuters. It was not clear if the plane had already taken off.

It was unclear what the Security Council is planning, but military intervention is one option, diplomats said, without giving details. There is precedent for this: for example, Senegal's army intervened in Gambia in 1981 during a coup.

A third party candidate in last week's election, Mama Kandeh of the Gambia Democratic Congress also rejected Jammeh's call for another election.

"Your swift decision earlier to concede defeat and your subsequent move to call Adama Barrow to congratulate him was lauded throughout the world," Kandeh said. "We therefore prevail on you to reconsider your decision."</s>Longtime Gambian ruler now refuses to step aside

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Gambia's ruler of more than 22 years announced late Friday that he no longer accepts defeat in the country's presidential election, reversing course a week after he conceded to his rival.

In a speech on state television, President Yahya Jammeh said that investigations since the Dec. 1 vote have revealed a number of voting irregularities that he called unacceptable.

"I hereby reject the results in totality," he said in his address that aired late Friday. "Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened."

In a Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 file photo, Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh shows his inked finger before voting in Banjul, Gambia. Gambia's ruler of more than 22 years now says he won't accept defeat in the presidential election, reversing course a week after he conceded defeat. In a speech on state television aired late Friday, Dec. 9, 2016,, President Yahya Jammeh said that investigations had revealed voting irregularities that he called unacceptable. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Only one week ago, a jovial Jammeh was filmed on state television calling opposition candidate Adama Barrow to wish him the best.

"You are the elected president of The Gambia, and I wish you all the best," Jammeh told Barrow at the time. "I have no ill will."

The dramatic about-face was certain to spark outrage among the opposition and the tens of thousands of Gambians living in exile abroad. Already in the week since Jammeh had been defeated, several dozen political prisoners had been released on bail.

"We are deeply concerned by reports of belated objections to the Gambian election results raised by President Jammeh," said Babatunde Olugboji, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch. "The international community, notably (regional bloc) ECOWAS and the African Union, should loudly protest any unlawful attempt to subvert the will of the Gambian people."

The U.S. government also condemned Jammeh's rejection of the election result, calling it an attempt to remain in power illegitimately.

"The people have spoken and it is time for Gambians to come together to ensure a peaceful transition to President-elect Barrow," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner in a statement.

It remained unclear whether the tiny country of 1.9 million people would accept Jammeh's continued rule. As news spread last week of his defeat, Gambians took to the streets — singing, dancing and shouting "Freedom!"

Under Jammeh's rule, the country surrounded almost entirely by Senegal has become notorious for its abysmal human rights record as well as the president's erratic behavior.

The Jammeh regime has long been accused of imprisoning, torturing and killing its opponents, according to human rights groups. He also has issued increasingly virulent statements against sexual minorities, vowing to slit the throats of gay men.

In 2007, Jammeh claimed to have developed a cure for AIDS that involved an herbal body rub and bananas. Alarming public health experts, he insisted patients stop taking antiretroviral medications so his remedy could have an effect.

He also has increasingly isolated Gambia, whose economy has long been dependent on tourism. In 2013 he exited the Commonwealth, a group made up mostly of former British colonies, branding it a "neo-colonial institution." And in October, Jammeh said Gambia would leave the International Criminal Court, which he dismissed as the 'International Caucasian Court.'"

In his speech Friday, Jammeh said some figures in the results had been transposed and that voter turnout had been suppressed.
The President of Gambia Yahya Jammeh states he will not accept the result of the recent defeat a week after conceding defeat to Adama Barrow.