ECOWAS ON ALERT TO INTERVENE IN GAMBIA

Senegal’s soldiers have been put on alert to intervene in The Gambia if President Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down next month. Mr Jammeh initially accepted defeat in the December 1 poll, but later said it was flawed. Army boots The Ecowas chairman said Senegal had been chosen to lead operations “to restore the people’s wishes” if needed.

 

President Jammeh has already said he will not be intimidated, saying Ecowas had no authority to interfere. President Jammeh, who has ruled for 22 years, has lodged a case before the Supreme Court to annul the vote after the electoral commission changed some results. The commission insists the outcome was not affected by an initial error and that property developer Adama Barrow won the poll and should be inaugurated on January 19. Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the Ecowas commission, said Mr Jammeh had until that date to comply with its mediators. “If he is not going, we have stand-by forces already alerted and these stand-by forces have to be able to intervene to restore the people’s wish,” he said.