The Gambia's President-elect, Adama Barrow, is to remain in Senegal until his planned inauguration on the 19th of January, 2017 despite President Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to hand over power amidst uncertainty in the African Country.
Ceoafrica gathered that the move was requested by West African leaders after a summit in Mali, as President Jammeh is currently refusing to step down until the Supreme Court can hear his challenge in the month of May.
The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) wants the United Nations to approve military action if Adama-Barrow's inauguration as Gambian President on the 19th of January is blocked.
Recently, African leaders repeated their calls for President Jammeh, who initially accepted the election result to step down, since their persuasion at the initial stage of President Jammeh refusal to hand over power, proved abortive.
Mali's president, Ibrahim Keita, called for "proverbial African wisdom" to prevail to avert a bloodbath and there are growing fears that the uncertainty could cause a refugee exodus, as Gambians, mostly female, have already fled the country and crossed the border into other African countries, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, where visas are not required.
Adama Barrow, who defeated President Yahya Jammeh in the Gambia’s December election, was at the Bamako summit and was referred to as the president.
Last week, Nigeria's president, President Muhammadu Buhari flew to the Gambia’s capital, Banjul to try to broker a deal but President Jammeh would not relinquish power, which he attributed to anomalies he discovered in the results of the election.
His attempt to overturn the election result has been delayed because of judges’ absence, but his legal team has asked for an injunction to block Adama Barrow's inauguration, as President Jammeh himself constituted a mediation team comprising of the Country’s chief justice, Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, including stakeholders to meet with Adama Barrow.
The African Union has said it would no longer recognise Preisdent Jammeh's rule after his term ends.
The 51-year-old leader seized power in the country in 1994 and has been accused of human rights abuses, although he has held regular elections.
