UN Warns Gambia’s Jammeh, You Must Leave Office Next Month Or Face “Strong Sanctions”
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh[/caption]
The United Nations has told Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, that he will be “strongly sanctioned” if he refuses to go after his elected term ends next month, a top official in West Africa said on Wednesday.
“For Mr. Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president. By that time (Jan. 18), his mandate is up and he will be required to hand over to Mr. Barrow,” Mohammed Ibn Chambas, U.N. Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, told Reuters.
Jammeh, who took power in a coup in 1994, initially conceded defeat in the Dec. 1 election to Adama Barrow, raising the prospect of an end to 22 years of autocratic rule tainted by allegations of widespread human rights abuses.
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But in a dramatic fashion that drew international condemnation, he then rejected the voting results last Friday, and his party is now challenging the outcome at Gambia’s Supreme Court.
The ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction filed a challenge to the election result, even as the delegation held mediation meetings on Tuesday.
“We do not believe it will be heard by a credible court dedicated to ensuring the integrity of The Gambia’s democratic process,” a U.S. Embassy statement said.
Jammeh has since ordered the military to take over the Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, a move which has been condemned by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.
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The UN chief appealled to Jammeh, to hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow, who was declared winner of the December 1 Presidential election in the country.
Mr Ban said taking over the electoral commission building was an “outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people and defiance towards the international community at a time when a high-level delegation was in the country to broker a peaceful transfer of power.
“I call on the Gambian military and security forces to immediately vacate the IEC premises and to refrain from any further acts with the intent to jeopardize efforts toward the peaceful transfer of power.”
“This action violates the independent status of the IEC under the Gambian constitution, and could compromise the sensitive electoral material under the commission’s custody,” he added.
The UN and U.S interventions follow Tuesday’s visit by the four West African leaders, led by Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, who met with both Mr Jammeh and Mr Barrow.
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ECOWAS leaders will discuss Gambia at a summit in Nigeria on Saturday.
