Senegal seeks UN's support to press Jammeh to step down: Diplomats

Gambia's incumbent President Yahya Jammeh speaks at a press conference after being defeated by Adama Barrow in the presidential election in a grab taken on December 3, 2016 from a video of the Gambia Radio and Television Services broadcasted on December 2, 2016, in Banjul. PHOTO | AFP| GRTS

What you need to know:

  • Ecowas has repeatedly called on 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 Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead on Thursday on Gambian soil.

  • The African Union has said it will no longer recognise Jammeh as Head of State as of January 19.

NEW YORK CITY, Wednesday

Senegal on Wednesday presented a draft resolution to the United Nations (UN) Security Council seeking support for the Economic Community of West African States’ (Ecowas’) efforts to press Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh to step down, diplomats said.

But the text does not explicitly seek council authorisation to deploy troops to The Gambia to force Jammeh to cede power to president-elect Adama Barrow, diplomats said.

Ecowas has repeatedly called on 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 Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead on Thursday on Gambian soil.

The African Union has said it will no longer recognise Jammeh as Head of State as of January 19.

UN envoy for West Africa Mohamed Ibn Chambas last week told the council that Ecowas was prepared to ask the council to approve the deployment of troops to the Gambia.

The council last month demanded in a unanimous statement that Jammeh recognise the outcome of the election and transfer power to Barrow.