The ECOWAS have 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. This will also forestall the breakdown of law and order in the Gambia and the sub-region in general

You are please requested to disseminate this information through your medium.</s>Gambia’s tourism and culture minister on Tuesday said he will step down, in what was a sign of dwindling support for Gambia’s outgoing president Yahya Jammeh, who refuses to recognise his loss in a recent election. Benjamin Roberts is the sixth member in the incumbent president’s cabinet to resign in less than 48 hours, following the ministers of trade, foreign affairs, finance, environment and sport. Observers believe the resignations showed that Jammeh, who ruled Gambia for 22 years with an iron fist, is increasingly politically isolated.

This post was syndicated from The NEWS. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Also, Like us on facebook</s>Gambia's Jammeh can stay in office for three months -national assembly

BANJUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Gambia's National Assembly has passed a resolution to allow President Yahya Jammeh, who lost an election in December, to stay in office for three months from Wednesday when he was due to leave power.

The decision announced on state television will raise tension with leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS who have threatened sanctions or military force to make Jammeh hand over to opposition leader Adama Barrow who won the election.

Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, saying it it was to prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court rules on his petition challenging the election result. The National Assembly resolution almost certainly gives the government authority to prevent Adama's inauguration.

Barrow is in Senegal and could, in theory, be sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in that country, which is technically on Gambian soil.

Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries and has had just two rulers since independence in 1965. Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 and his government has gained a reputation among ordinary Gambians and human rights activists for torturing and killing opponents.

Few people expected him to lose the election and the result was greeted with joy by many in the country and by democracy advocates across the continent, particularly when Jammeh initially said he would accept the result and step down.

Jammeh's decision to reverse that position has created political turmoil. At least five ministers have resigned from his government, hundreds of people have fled to neighbouring Senegal and others in the country say they fear violence.

British tour operator Thomas Cook started evacuating nearly 1,000 holidaymakers on Wednesday. It said on its website it was laying on extra flights in the next 48 hours to remove 985 package tour customers.

It was also trying to contact a further 2,500 'flight only' tourists in Gambia to arrange for their departure on the earliest available flight, it said in a statement.

Gambia's economy relies on one main crop, peanuts, and tourism. Its beaches are popular with European holidaymakers seeking a winter break. (Reporting by Ed Cropley; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Dominic Evans)</s>Gambia's Jammeh can stay in office for three months -national assembly

BANJUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Gambia's National Assembly has passed a resolution to allow President Yahya Jammeh to stay in office for three months from Wednesday, state television said.

Jammeh lost an election in December to opposition leader Adama Barrow and is due to hand over power on Thursday, but the veteran leader has declared a state of emergency and says he will not step down before a court hears his election challenge. (Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Dominic Evans)</s>Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, just two days before he is supposed to cede power after losing elections last month. 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, announced on state television, was to begin immediately. In the announcement, Jammeh also blamed what he calls the unprecedented level of foreign involvement in Gambia’s election. The National Assembly, in approving the state of emergency, condemned the “unlawful and malicious interference” by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, which has said the continental body will no longer recognize Jammeh as Gambia’s legitimate leader as of Thursday.

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President-elect Adama Barrow, the man who ousted Jammeh in the December election, is vowing to take power on Thursday despite Jammeh’s refusal to leave. Jammeh says the country must wait for Gambia’s supreme court to decide on the ruling party’s challenge to the election results, a delay that could take months. On Monday, Gambia’s chief justice recused himself and said he could not rule on Jammeh’s request for an injunction blocking Barrow’s inauguration.

Meanwhile, members of Jammeh’s cabinet are fleeing. Gambia’s foreign affairs minister, along with the ministers of finance, trade and environment, all have resigned, a political official in Banjul said Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The country’s information minister earlier went into exile in Senegal.

Jammeh has ruled Gambia for more than 22 years. He initially went on state television to concede his election defeat, only to make a dramatic about-face a week later. West Africa’s regional bloc has a standby force for possible military intervention if Jammeh doesn’t step down when his mandate ends this week. Gambia, a tiny nation of 1.9 million people, is estimated to have an army of just 900 troops.

 Barrow is currently in Senegal, and the regional bloc, ECOWAS, has urged Barrow to stay there until Thursday’s inauguration for his safety. On Monday, he was unable to attend the funeral for his 7-year-old son, who had been fatally mauled by a dog a day earlier.</s>Yahya Jammeh claimed power in a coup in 1994 to become only the second president of Gambia since independence from Britain in 1965.

Since then, Jammeh has mixed charm and generosity with the threat of violence to maintain a firm grip on power, and his government has gained a reputation among ordinary Gambians and human rights activists for torturing and killing opponents.

Jammeh’s quirkier traits, such as his strong belief in supernatural powers and claims to have a herbal cure for HIV, have often made international headlines.</s>The photo below was taken in 1994 when stubborn Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, who was then 29 years old, took over power 22 years ago. He was a Lieutenant and Chairman of Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council.</s>As the deadline for the expiration of the mandate of the Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh, gets closer, members of the National Assembly today, extended Jammeh’s term for another three months. The term of the National Assembly was also extended for three months. Both terms were due to expire on Wednesday at midnight Gambian time.

Ruling APRC MPS voter massively voted for the extension of the term of the National Assembly and that of dictator Jammeh. Mr. Jammeh has filed a petition in court challenging the outcome of the elections.

This followed a state of emergency declared by dictator Jammeh, citing external interference in Gambia’s internal politics. He also said there is increasing fear in the country, amid reports of an ECOWAS invasion to send Jammeh packing.

President elect Adama Barrow, is expected to be sworn in on Thursday. He temporally lives pending his inauguration.</s>Gambia: Jammeh’s whereabouts unknown as ECOMOG orders troops to capture him dead or alive

The whereabouts of the outgoing President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh was unknown as at Thursday. This was just as last-minute attempts by Mauritanian President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, to convince Jammeh to give up the presidency, failed. There are indications that he may have gone into hiding in a bid to escape being further…

The post Gambia: Jammeh’s whereabouts unknown as ECOMOG orders troops to capture him dead or alive appeared first on The Herald Nigeria – 24/7 News updates from Nigeria.

This post was syndicated from The Herald Nigeria – 24/7 News updates from Nigeria. Click here to read the full text on the original website.

Also, Like us on facebook</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption Yahya Jammeh first seized power in a coup in 1994

The Gambia's parliament has extended President Yahya Jammeh's term, which is due to end on Thursday following his defeat in elections, by 90 days.

It also approved his decision to declare a 90-day state of emergency.

Senegalese troops have reportedly moved towards The Gambian border ahead of possible intervention to force Mr Jammeh to hand power to President-elect Adama Barrow.

Thousands of UK and Dutch tourists are being evacuated from The Gambia.

The tiny West African state is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches.

Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories

What happens next?

Adama Barrow: From estate agent to president

Holidaymakers to be returned

The Gambia was plunged into crisis after Mr Jammeh rejected Mr Barrow's shock victory in the 1 December election.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption More than 25,000 Gambians have reportedly taken refuge in Senegal

In a televised announcement on Tuesday, Mr Jammeh said "any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement of violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace" were banned under the state of emergency.

He said security forces were instructed to "maintain absolute peace, law and order".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption British and Dutch tourists at Banjul Airport describe panic after they were told to leave The Gambia

Could there be conflict?

A Senegalese military source said they were "very seriously" preparing for military action in The Gambia, Reuters news agency reports.

Residents in two towns in southern Senegal told the agency they had seen columns of troops heading for the border.

Regional bloc Ecowas, the Economic Community of West African States, has mandated Senegal, which almost surrounds The Gambia, to spearhead military intervention, but only as a last resort and with the backing of the UN Security Council.

The US State Department urged Mr Jammeh to peacefully transfer power to Mr Barrow on Thursday.

"Doing so would allow him to leave office with his head held high and to protect The Gambian people from potential chaos," spokesman John Kirby said.

"Failure to do so will put his legacy, and more importantly The Gambia, in peril," he added.

The Gambia's entire armed forces is made up of only about 2,500 troops, making it difficult to see how they can defeat a regional force if it moves in, says BBC Africa Monitoring security correspondent Tomi Oladipo.

Nigeria's air force was contributing 200 "supporting" troops for the force, navy spokesman Capt Dahun Jahun told the Associated Press.

A Nigerian military source told our correspondent that a Nigerian warship was sailing towards The Gambia as a show of force.

However, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's foreign affairs aide, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, denied it was a war ship, saying a vessel had been sent to evacuate Nigerians if need be.

Where is Mr Barrow?

Mr Barrow, a property developer, has been in Senegal since Saturday. His aides said he would return to The Gambia for his inauguration on Thursday.

In his only comment since the state of emergency was declared, he tweeted: "We made history on the first day of December. Our future starts tomorrow."

Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Barrow won the election by four percentage points

Mr Jammeh's declaration of a state of emergency was seen as an attempt to block the ceremony, scheduled to take place at a stadium in Bakau town, west of the capital Banjul, from going ahead.

Mr Barrow could, technically, also be sworn in at The Gambian embassy in Senegal. However, there are currently no visible preparations under way there.

Could there be a refugee crisis?

At least 26,000 Gambians, mostly women and children, had crossed into Senegal by Monday evening amid fears that violence could erupt, the UN refugee agency said, citing Senegalese government figures.

"The flow has increased sharply since then," regional spokeswoman Helene Caux was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Travel firm Thomas Cook said it would fly back to the UK, over the next 48 hours, 985 customers from package holidays after the Foreign Office advised "against all but essential travel to The Gambia due to ongoing political uncertainty and potential military intervention following the presidential elections".

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption The Gambia is known to many outside the country as an ideal beach holiday location

About 1,600 Dutch citizens are also being flown home after similar advice from their government.

Tourism has become the fastest-growing sector of The Gambia's economy, and the country, which has a population of about two million, was marketed to holidaymakers as "the smiling coast of West Africa".

But many of its citizens are poor and complain of political repression. Some, including the goalkeeper of the national women's football team, have drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe in the hope of a better life.

Why is Mr Jammeh refusing to leave office?

He has ruled The Gambia since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

The Gambia regularly held elections, which he won until his shock defeat in the latest poll.

Mr Jammeh has said there were irregularities in the election process, including the turning away of some of his supporters from polling stations, and errors made by the electoral commission.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The rise and fall of Yahya Jammeh

The commission accepted that some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said Mr Barrow had still won.

Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held.

Retaining power would also ensure he was not prosecuted in The Gambia for alleged abuses committed during his rule.
The National Assembly of the Gambia approves extending Yahya Jammeh's term as President of the country for 90 more days.