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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2017 10:34:53 GMT
Yesterday Nigeria offered Jammeh asylum, and today its Morocco's turn to offer him a place to go into exile. King Mohammed VI arrives in Gambia today and will be trying to convince Jammeh to relinguish power to Adama Barrow. Presumably Morrocco will be more attractive for Jammeh than Nigeria.
ECOWAS delegation will also arrive in Banjul today, but Jammeh will likely snub them by meeting with the Moroccan king first.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 17:28:08 GMT
Jammeh has stated he will only step aside if the Supreme Court rules against him; and a court ruling isn't expected before May. People are starting to flee Banjul to get away before the ECOWAs invasion.
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Post by AdminSTB on Jan 18, 2017 0:50:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 6:07:52 GMT
Update:
Jammeh yesterday declared a 90-day state of emergency.
The Supreme Court's Nigerian Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle on Monday said the court would not be adjourned until the next regular session in May or November, but added that the APRC petition could be heard if the judges hired from Sierra Leone and Nigeria arrived sooner (but fat chance of that).
Barrow is in Senegal (officially just "visiting").
The CoS of the ECOWAS armies met yesterday to discuss how to get Jammeh out. There has been some talk about prolonging the deadline, but this indicates that a military operation is still under way. Though likely a bit later than January 19.
AU has made it clear they will recognize Barrow a president after January 19.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 15:16:23 GMT
The Gambian parliament has extended Jammeh's term by 90 days. It also approved his decision to declare a 90-day state of emergency.
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Post by finsobruce on Jan 18, 2017 21:24:33 GMT
The Gambian parliament has extended Jammeh's term by 90 days. It also approved his decision to declare a 90-day state of emergency. Start as you mean to go on I guess... (well hopefully not)  |
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Post by johnloony on Jan 19, 2017 0:13:34 GMT
I predict that Senegal will invade today. Domestic military and political support for Jammeh will evaporate like a lump of frozen methane on Venus, and Jammeh will skedaddle to Morocco pronto before anybody can say antidisestablishmentarianism.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 6:19:27 GMT
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Jan 19, 2017 11:56:41 GMT
Barrow is apparently going to be sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Senegal today.
The BBC is reporting unconfirmed reports of Senegalese troops entering the country.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 15:37:06 GMT
Gambia’s Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy and eight cabinet ministers resigned yesterday, so Jammeh is without a functioning government to assist him.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 15:38:17 GMT
"The United Nations Security Council was to vote later on Thursday on endorsing a West African military intervention as Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana dispatched hundreds of troops and fighter jets to Gambia's border with Senegal.
Senegal's army had said on Wednesday it would be ready to cross into its smaller neighbour, which it surrounds, from midnight.
"A military operation [is under way] with troops also from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Mali - they are all at the Senegale border and presenting a united front," Haque said.
A senior Nigerian military source told Reuters news agency that regional forces would only act once Barrow had been sworn in.
"What the Senegalese said about the midnight deadline was to put pressure on Jammeh. It was a show of muscle," a diplomat in the region told Reuters."www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/gambia-adama-barrow-oath-senegal-170119133823970.html
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 16:49:40 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 16:52:34 GMT
Jammeh's wife and children have fled Gambia.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 17:00:09 GMT
"Following recent newspaper reports that alleged Liberian mercenaries, led by former President Charles Taylor's elite security commander Benjamin Yeaten, resurfaced in The Gambia, the Freedom newspaper has reported yet another recruitment of rebels by President Yahya Jammeh. Freedom newspaper is Gambia's premier online newspaper. It has reported that Jammeh has assembled mercenaries from former war-ravaged West African nations--mainly from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and the Southern Province of Casamance in Senegal. This is the area of Senegal south of The Gambia including the Casamance River that has witnessed years of turmoil as rebels there are seeking for independence from Senegal. Both Liberia and Sierra Leone recorded bitter civil wars, with the Liberian conflict starting as an internal crisis from 1989, and lasting until 2003. The conflict eventually led to the involvement of the ECOWAS and the United Nations Mission to Liberia."www.liberianobserver.com/news/jammeh-‘imports-rebels’
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 20:24:45 GMT
The invasion has begun:
The UN has now also backed military intervention.
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right
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Post by right on Jan 19, 2017 20:41:56 GMT
The invasion has begun: The UN has now also backed military intervention. Who's supporting the old President, is there a tribal, institutional or ideological vase for him? Rather concerned as my ex brother in law is there at the moment (and is NOT flying home). |
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Crimson King
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Post by Crimson King on Jan 19, 2017 20:45:44 GMT
I predict that Senegal will invade today. Domestic military and political support for Jammeh will evaporate like a lump of frozen methane on Venus, and Jammeh will skedaddle to Morocco pronto before anybody can say antidisestablishmentarianism. loony for the win |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2017 21:20:09 GMT
The invasion has begun: The UN has now also backed military intervention. Who's supporting the old President, is there a tribal, institutional or ideological vase for him? Rather concerned as my ex brother in law is there at the moment (and is NOT flying home). His own tribe (in the south-west) is rather small and his main power base was in Banjul (which he has lost by now). I doubt any civilians will oppose or protest a regime change. The foreign recruited part of the army + the mercenaries he reportedly has hired recently will presumably support him (a big part of the former are Senegalese ex-rebels) + parts of the Gambian security forces (especially the intelligence service that has been responsible for the worst human rights violations). The officer corps owe him their privileges, but I would assume most of the Gambians in it aren't willing to fight under such hopeless circumstances (the army is very top-heavy due to clientilism and many of the "officers" have little actual military training). At least one large military base has declared its "neutrality". |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 9:09:24 GMT
ECOWAS suspended their operations last night and gave Jammeh an ultimatum until noon today to hand over power and agree to leave the country or face military action.
The final talks in Banjul this morning have been led by Guinean president Alpha Conde.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 9:54:06 GMT
The Gambian army chief dancing in the streets after Barrow's inauguration.  |
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