Gambia crisis: Barrow inauguration in Senegal as Jammeh stays put
The man who won The Gambia’s disputed election says he will be sworn in as president at the country’s embassy in neighbouring Senegal.
Adama Barrow also invited the general public to attend the ceremony.
Last-ditch efforts by regional leaders to convince Yahya Jammeh to quit as president failed overnight. They have warned they could remove him by force.
Mr Jammeh, 51, lost elections last month, but wants the results annulled citing errors in the electoral process. Mr Barrow, who is also 51, made the announcement in a message posted on his social media accounts on Thursday.
The message said he would be “sworn in today at 4pm (16:00 GMT)”.
West African military forces, stationed at the border, are ready to enforce a transfer of power in The Gambia, a popular beach destination among European holidaymakers.
UN Security Council backing for intervention is being sought by Senegal and the regional bloc Ecowas, but some diplomats said if Mr Barrow requested help after his inauguration such approval would not be needed.
Why is Mr Barrow in Senegal?
Mr Barrow, a property developer who has never held public office, has been in Senegal since the weekend following an invitation to attend a summit of African leaders who back his victory.
He did not even go back home when his eight-year-old son died after being mauled by a dog. He missed the funeral on Monday as he was advised to remain in Senegal for his safety.
The president-elect tweeted and posted on Facebook that his inauguration would take place at 16:00 GMT at the embassy in the capital, Dakar.
He has joined at least 26,000 Gambians, fearful of violence, who have sought refuge in Senegal.
His spokesman says Mr Barrow’s team is keen for a peaceful resolution, but accepts military intervention may be inevitable.
“Ecowas is on the side of President Barrow – and if he’s sworn in obviously he has to be at the State House. If the other side refused then you are simply talking about a state of war,” Halifa Sallah told the BBC’s Newshour programme.
He said that President Jammeh had been given a letter promising that he would be given the same rights and privileges as Dawda Jawara, The Gambia’s only other ex-president.
Why is Mr Jammeh refusing to stand down?
Mr Jammeh, who first came to power in a bloodless coup 22 years ago, initially accepted defeat, but later reversed his position.
The electoral commission has accepted that some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said they would not have affected Mr Barrow’s win.
His legal challenge to have the vote annulled cannot be heard by the Supreme Court until May because of a lack of judges, so parliament has stepped in and extended his term in office by 90 days and imposed a three-month state of emergency.
Human rights groups accuse Mr Jammeh, who has in the past claimed he can cure Aids and infertility, of repression.
Retaining power would also ensure he was not prosecuted in The Gambia for alleged abuses committed during his rule. BBC News
