Gambia&#39;s National Assembly has passed a resolution to allow Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to stay in office for three months from Wednesday, state television said.

Jammeh lost an election in December to opposition leader Adama Barrow and is due to hand over power on Thursday, but the veteran leader has declared a state of emergency and says he will not step down before a court hears his election challenge.

The declaration was necessary, he said on state television, after the &quot;unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference in the December 1 presidential elections and also in the internal affairs of The Gambia.&quot;

The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote he lost to opponent Adama Barrow and step aside, backed up by the United Nations Security Council, African Union and several other institutions.

Jammeh said foreign powers had created an &quot;unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country,&quot; forcing him to act.

Under the Gambian constitution, a state of emergency lasts seven days if the president declares it unilaterally but up to 90 days if the national assembly confirms it, which has not yet happened.

The terms of the declaration were left vague by Jammeh and seemed to correspond to laws already in place in a nation where human rights abuses are rife.

All citizens and residents were &quot;banned from any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement to violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace,&quot; Jammeh said.

He then asked the security forces to maintain law and order.

The move will be dimly viewed by the international community as Jammeh&#39;s mandate runs out, but the president has shown little interest in diplomacy after rebuffing two high-level delegations by west African leaders in recent weeks pleading with him to go.

String of resignations

Meanwhile, four more cabinet ministers in Jammeh&#39;s government defected, a source close to the regime told AFP on Tuesday, while citizens stream out of the country in fear of unrest.

Foreign minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, finance minister Abdou Kolley, trade minister Abdou Jobe and tourism minister Benjamin Roberts had all resigned, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.

Roberts was appointed to replace Kolley on Monday, meaning he spent less than 24 hours in the new post, local media said.

The latest resignations came after the high-profile defection last week of information minister Sheriff Bojang, who is now sheltering in neighbouring Senegal.

Citizens continued to pack their bags and stream out of Banjul by road and ferry for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, taking as many possessions as they could carry.

One traveller told AFP that those arriving at 10:00 am would have to wait until the following day to board a ferry at Banjul port to cross the river headed for Senegal, unless they bribed officials, due to huge numbers exiting the city.

The UN&#39;s refugee agency has said several thousand Gambians have crossed the border in the last few weeks to shelter with extended family while they await January 19, when Jammeh is due to hand over power.

Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until his planned inauguration on Thursday.&nbsp;

Asylum offer

The spectre of a military intervention in The Gambia now seems closer than ever, following declarations by the United Nations and the&nbsp;African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution to the crisis.

Fears of conflict were ramped up in Banjul following the weekend arrest of soldiers suspected of being sympathetic to Barrow, underlining significant disagreement within the armed forces over whom they will support come Thursday.

Elsewhere Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf hit out at Jammeh for broadcasting a conversation they held by phone on Sunday on Gambian television without her knowledge.

&quot;Unfortunately, being the person that he is, Jammeh recorded and televised their conversation without advising her of his intent to do so,&quot; a statement from the Liberian presidency said.

Sirleaf was then quoted as saying that as of Monday &quot;there is no change in ECOWAS position. The Constitution of The Gambia must be respected.&quot;

In Rabat, it was reported that Morocco had offered Jammeh asylum for accepting the election defeat and stepping down &quot;in return for a golden retirement&quot;, but Banjul sources were reluctant to confirm the claim.

And in a growing sign of Jammeh&#39;s hostility to international scrutiny, seven journalists from China, Sweden and Senegal were expelled late Monday soon after they arrived at Banjul airport to cover the ongoing crisis.&nbsp;

(AFP)

He has declared a state of emergency and says he will not step down before a court hears his election challenge

Gambia's National Assembly has passed a resolution to allow Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to stay in office for three months from Wednesday, state television said. Jammeh lost an election in December to opposition leader Adama Barrow and is due to hand over power on Thursday, but the veteran leader has declared a state of emergency and says he will not step down before a court hears his election challenge. The declaration was necessary, he said on state television, after the "unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference in the December 1 presidential elections and also in the internal affairs of The Gambia." The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote he lost to opponent Adama Barrow and step aside, backed up by the United Nations Security Council, African Union and several other institutions. Jammeh said foreign powers had created an "unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country," forcing him to act. Under the Gambian constitution, a state of emergency lasts seven days if the president declares it unilaterally but up to 90 days if the national assembly confirms it, which has not yet happened. The terms of the declaration were left vague by Jammeh and seemed to correspond to laws already in place in a nation where human rights abuses are rife. All citizens and residents were "banned from any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement to violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace," Jammeh said. He then asked the security forces to maintain law and order. The move will be dimly viewed by the international community as Jammeh's mandate runs out, but the president has shown little interest in diplomacy after rebuffing two high-level delegations by west African leaders in recent weeks pleading with him to go. String of resignations Meanwhile, four more cabinet ministers in Jammeh's government defected, a source close to the regime told AFP on Tuesday, while citizens stream out of the country in fear of unrest. Foreign minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, finance minister Abdou Kolley, trade minister Abdou Jobe and tourism minister Benjamin Roberts had all resigned, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons. Roberts was appointed to replace Kolley on Monday, meaning he spent less than 24 hours in the new post, local media said. The latest resignations came after the high-profile defection last week of information minister Sheriff Bojang, who is now sheltering in neighbouring Senegal. Citizens continued to pack their bags and stream out of Banjul by road and ferry for Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, taking as many possessions as they could carry. One traveller told AFP that those arriving at 10:00 am would have to wait until the following day to board a ferry at Banjul port to cross the river headed for Senegal, unless they bribed officials, due to huge numbers exiting the city. The UN's refugee agency has said several thousand Gambians have crossed the border in the last few weeks to shelter with extended family while they await January 19, when Jammeh is due to hand over power. Barrow is in Senegal, where he plans to remain until his planned inauguration on Thursday. Asylum offer The spectre of a military intervention in The Gambia now seems closer than ever, following declarations by the United Nations and the African Union that boots on the ground could get the green light without a rapid resolution to the crisis. Fears of conflict were ramped up in Banjul following the weekend arrest of soldiers suspected of being sympathetic to Barrow, underlining significant disagreement within the armed forces over whom they will support come Thursday. Elsewhere Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf hit out at Jammeh for broadcasting a conversation they held by phone on Sunday on Gambian television without her knowledge. "Unfortunately, being the person that he is, Jammeh recorded and televised their conversation without advising her of his intent to do so," a statement from the Liberian presidency said. Sirleaf was then quoted as saying that as of Monday "there is no change in ECOWAS position. The Constitution of The Gambia must be respected." In Rabat, it was reported that Morocco had offered Jammeh asylum for accepting the election defeat and stepping down "in return for a golden retirement", but Banjul sources were reluctant to confirm the claim. And in a growing sign of Jammeh's hostility to international scrutiny, seven journalists from China, Sweden and Senegal were expelled late Monday soon after they arrived at Banjul airport to cover the ongoing crisis. (AFP)

Gambia's Jammeh can stay in office for three months: National assembly

Nigeria has sent 200 soldiers and air assets including fighter jets to Senegal as part of a regional force to enforce the result of Gambia&#39;s contested election, the country&#39;s air force said Wednesday.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had &quot;today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia&quot;.

The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.

Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency as President-elect Adama Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead as planned on Thursday on Gambian soil.

Nigeria said the forces were part of an ECOWAS military standby intervention force &quot;tasked by ECOWAS heads of state to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in The Gambia&quot;.

&quot;The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia,&quot; it added in a statement.

(AFP)

President Jammeh has refused to step down after the Dec. 1 elections results and declared a state of emergency in the country on Tuesday

Nigeria has sent 200 soldiers and air assets including fighter jets to Senegal as part of a regional force to enforce the result of Gambia's contested election, the country's air force said Wednesday. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had "today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, light utility helicopter as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia". The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power. Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency as President-elect Adama Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead as planned on Thursday on Gambian soil. Nigeria said the forces were part of an ECOWAS military standby intervention force "tasked by ECOWAS heads of state to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in The Gambia". "The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia," it added in a statement. (AFP)

Gambia: Nigeria sends troops, jets to Senegal to 'enforce' election results

The Gambia&#39;s opposition coalition vowed Friday to ensure that president-elect Adama Barrow is sworn in in January, despite President Yahya Jammeh threatening to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down.

Barrow &quot;is confident that he has won an election and he is confident that there is no court on this earth that will deliver judgement to the contrary,&quot; opposition spokesman Halifa Sallah told reporters in the capital Banjul.

&quot;We will not speculate on what the court will do ... What we are telling the Gambian people is: &#39;Focus your mind on the fact that president-elect Adama Barrow won an election and he will be inaugurated in January 19,&quot; he added.

Jammeh, who has been in power for 22 years, stunned observers by initially accepting his defeat in the December 1 vote by opposition candidate Barrow, but then flip-flopped a week later, rejecting the results and filing a court challenge. His stance has stoked international concerns about the future of the tiny west African country, with the UN joining African leaders in calling for him to step down.

&quot;Unless the court decides the case, there will be no inauguration (of Barrow) on the 19 January,&quot; Jammeh said in a lengthy television address this week, referring to his petition to the Supreme Court to overturn the election result.

According to Sallah, Jammeh&#39;s statement showed he had no intention to relinquish power in January. He also recalled efforts by the west African bloc ECOWAS -- which have also come under fire by Jammeh -- to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

Leaders of ECOWAS -- including Senegal, which surrounds the landlocked country save its coastal border -- said at the weekend they would attend Barrow&#39;s inauguration and &quot;take all necessary actions to enforce the results&quot;, without spelling out what those measures might be.

Under Jammeh&#39;s long rule, The Gambia has remained crushingly poor but enjoyed relative stability -- though rights groups and media watchdogs accuse him of cultivating a climate of fear and crushing dissent.

(AFP)

President Yahya Jammeh has threatened to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down

The Gambia's opposition coalition vowed Friday to ensure that president-elect Adama Barrow is sworn in in January, despite President Yahya Jammeh threatening to hold on to power unless the Supreme Court orders him to step down. Barrow "is confident that he has won an election and he is confident that there is no court on this earth that will deliver judgement to the contrary," opposition spokesman Halifa Sallah told reporters in the capital Banjul. "We will not speculate on what the court will do ... What we are telling the Gambian people is: 'Focus your mind on the fact that president-elect Adama Barrow won an election and he will be inaugurated in January 19," he added. Jammeh, who has been in power for 22 years, stunned observers by initially accepting his defeat in the December 1 vote by opposition candidate Barrow, but then flip-flopped a week later, rejecting the results and filing a court challenge. His stance has stoked international concerns about the future of the tiny west African country, with the UN joining African leaders in calling for him to step down. "Unless the court decides the case, there will be no inauguration (of Barrow) on the 19 January," Jammeh said in a lengthy television address this week, referring to his petition to the Supreme Court to overturn the election result. According to Sallah, Jammeh's statement showed he had no intention to relinquish power in January. He also recalled efforts by the west African bloc ECOWAS -- which have also come under fire by Jammeh -- to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Leaders of ECOWAS -- including Senegal, which surrounds the landlocked country save its coastal border -- said at the weekend they would attend Barrow's inauguration and "take all necessary actions to enforce the results", without spelling out what those measures might be. Under Jammeh's long rule, The Gambia has remained crushingly poor but enjoyed relative stability -- though rights groups and media watchdogs accuse him of cultivating a climate of fear and crushing dissent. (AFP)

Gambia opposition says 'no court' can cancel Barrow's win

The UN Security Council on Saturday urged Gambia&#39;s President Yahya Jammeh to accept the presidential election results and hand over power to president-elect Adama Barrow.

Jammeh accepted had defeat in a surprise move a day after the December 1 vote but rejected the results in a televised address on Friday.

The 15 council members called on Jammeh to &quot;respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, as he did on December 2 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow.&quot;

They urged him to &quot;carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process and they requested that the security of the president-elect Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured,&quot; news agency AFP reported.

Council members condemned Jammeh&#39;s call for a new election.

&quot;Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened,&quot; he said, condemning &quot;unacceptable errors&quot; on the part of electoral authorities in a statement broadcast on state television.

Jammeh claimed &quot;investigations&quot; had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots.

Senegal, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, has requested a meeting to discuss the crisis, which could be held on Monday, diplomats said, AFP said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a peaceful transition of power &quot;n full respect of the will of the Gambian people as expressed in the election&quot;.&nbsp;

President-elect Barrow said Jammeh had no legal standing and urged him to accept the results on Saturday.

Barrow, a property developer and political unknown till six months back, comfortably won the Dec 1 election with 45.54 per cent. Barrow was chosen as the opposition leader by a group of political parties who have joined forces for the first time and won unprecedented popular support.

(With inputs from AFP)

Jammeh accepted defeat a day after the December 1 vote but rejected the results a week later and called for fresh elections

The UN Security Council on Saturday urged Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh to accept the presidential election results and hand over power to president-elect Adama Barrow. Jammeh accepted had defeat in a surprise move a day after the December 1 vote but rejected the results in a televised address on Friday. The 15 council members called on Jammeh to "respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, as he did on December 2 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow." They urged him to "carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process and they requested that the security of the president-elect Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured," news agency AFP reported. Council members condemned Jammeh's call for a new election. "Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened," he said, condemning "unacceptable errors" on the part of electoral authorities in a statement broadcast on state television. Jammeh claimed "investigations" had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots. Senegal, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, has requested a meeting to discuss the crisis, which could be held on Monday, diplomats said, AFP said. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a peaceful transition of power "n full respect of the will of the Gambian people as expressed in the election". President-elect Barrow said Jammeh had no legal standing and urged him to accept the results on Saturday. Barrow, a property developer and political unknown till six months back, comfortably won the Dec 1 election with 45.54 per cent. Barrow was chosen as the opposition leader by a group of political parties who have joined forces for the first time and won unprecedented popular support. (With inputs from AFP)

UN Security Council urges President Jammeh to hand over power

Gambia&#39;s President Yahya Jammeh said on Friday he would not recognise the results of December 1 elections and called for fresh polls, a week after he conceded defeat.

&quot;In the same way that I accepted the results faithfully believing that the Independent Electoral Commission was independent and honest and reliable, I hereby reject the results in totality,&quot; he said in a statement broadcast on state television.

&quot;Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened,&quot; he said, condemning &quot;unacceptable errors&quot; on the part of electoral authorities and calling for a new vote.

Jammeh pointed to an accounting error, identified by the IEC, which awarded victory to his opponent Adama Barrow but with a slimmer margin than initially announced.

Latest official figures gave Barrow 43.29 per cent of the votes in the presidential election, while Jammeh took 39.64 percent. The turnout was at 59 percent.

Jammeh claimed &quot;investigations&quot; had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots.

&quot;This is the most dubious election we ever had in the history of this country,&quot; he said.

&quot;We will go back to the polls because I want to make sure every Gambian votes under an electoral commission that is impartial, independent, neutral and free from foreign influence,&quot; he said, adding that he would not tolerate any street protests over his decision.

The announcement upends the situation in the west African nation, where the population had been hoping for a peaceful democratic transition after Barrow&#39;s shock victory this month looked set to end Jammeh&#39;s 22 years in power.

On December 2, Jammeh made a magnanimous concession speech on television and promised -- to general shock and surprise -- a peaceful and swift handover of power to President-elect Barrow.

On Thursday, Barrow vowed to set up a South Africa-style truth commission and said that the country&#39;s chief of defence staff had called to pledge the military&#39;s backing.

But pressure to prosecute Jammeh and top figures in his administration, who have been accused of widespread human rights violations, is one of the key challenges facing the new government.

In an interview with French media December 3, Barrow ruled out a &quot;witch hunt&quot; and said that his predecessor would be able to &quot;live in Gambia like any ordinary citizen&quot;.

Dozens of opposition activists who had been detained since April for holding protests were granted bail this week, with the lawyer noting they were members of the United Democratic Party (UDP), of which Barrow was the presidential candidate.

UDP founder and leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, was freed on bail with 18 others on Monday, as part of their ongoing appeal against three-year sentences.

(AFP)

Jammeh had promised a swift handover of power to President-elect Barrow in a televised address on December 2

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh said on Friday he would not recognise the results of December 1 elections and called for fresh polls, a week after he conceded defeat. "In the same way that I accepted the results faithfully believing that the Independent Electoral Commission was independent and honest and reliable, I hereby reject the results in totality," he said in a statement broadcast on state television. "Let me repeat: I will not accept the results based on what has happened," he said, condemning "unacceptable errors" on the part of electoral authorities and calling for a new vote. Jammeh pointed to an accounting error, identified by the IEC, which awarded victory to his opponent Adama Barrow but with a slimmer margin than initially announced. Latest official figures gave Barrow 43.29 per cent of the votes in the presidential election, while Jammeh took 39.64 percent. The turnout was at 59 percent. Jammeh claimed "investigations" had revealed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots. "This is the most dubious election we ever had in the history of this country," he said. "We will go back to the polls because I want to make sure every Gambian votes under an electoral commission that is impartial, independent, neutral and free from foreign influence," he said, adding that he would not tolerate any street protests over his decision. The announcement upends the situation in the west African nation, where the population had been hoping for a peaceful democratic transition after Barrow's shock victory this month looked set to end Jammeh's 22 years in power. On December 2, Jammeh made a magnanimous concession speech on television and promised -- to general shock and surprise -- a peaceful and swift handover of power to President-elect Barrow. On Thursday, Barrow vowed to set up a South Africa-style truth commission and said that the country's chief of defence staff had called to pledge the military's backing. But pressure to prosecute Jammeh and top figures in his administration, who have been accused of widespread human rights violations, is one of the key challenges facing the new government. In an interview with French media December 3, Barrow ruled out a "witch hunt" and said that his predecessor would be able to "live in Gambia like any ordinary citizen". Dozens of opposition activists who had been detained since April for holding protests were granted bail this week, with the lawyer noting they were members of the United Democratic Party (UDP), of which Barrow was the presidential candidate. UDP founder and leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, was freed on bail with 18 others on Monday, as part of their ongoing appeal against three-year sentences. (AFP)

Gambia's President rejects election results, calls for fresh polls