Gambia President Jammeh declares states of emergency in refusing to hand power to rival
West African countries prepare military intervention to push Jammeh out
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, state television said, after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow who won an election on December 1.
The terms of the state of emergency and its implications for Barrow’s inauguration on Thursday were not immediately known.
But the declaration appears to represent a hardening of Jammeh’s position. Opposition leaders say an emergency could allow the government to cancel or postpone Barrow’s inauguration.
“I...hereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia,” the declaration said.
Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 and his government gained a reputation for torturing and killing of perceived opponents. Pro-democracy activists across Africa welcomed his defeat and his refusal to step down has provoked a test of mettle for regional leaders.
Nigeria and other West African countries are preparing to intervene militarily and the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned from the government, according to ministry sources and state television.