BANJUL: Gambian President Yahya Jammeh looked determined to cling to power on Wednesday as his mandate came to an end, while tourists packed onto planes in an exodus sparked by a state of emergency.
Jammeh said Tuesday the emergency was necessary due to interference of foreign powers in the West African country’s Dec. 1 election, which the president of 22 years lost to opponent Adama Barrow.
Barrow, who is currently sheltering in neighboring Senegal, maintains his inauguration will go ahead on Thursday on Gambian soil, putting the country on a collision course.
Jammeh’s declaration immediately triggered travel advisory warnings by Britain and the Netherlands, with around 1,000 British tourists expected to leave on special flights on Wednesday alone.
“It’s because of the uncertainty and the likelihood an ECOWAS standby force will have to be deployed,” a diplomatic source told AFP.
The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly urged Jammeh to respect the outcome of the vote and step aside, a call backed by the UN Security Council, African Union and others.
The exact location of the inauguration was “in the hands of ECOWAS,” said James Gomez, the inauguration’s head organizer who said he had spoken with Barrow twice on Tuesday.
Gomez said that plans for the transfer of power in a huge stadium outside the capital Banjul were now canceled, but added “there will be a big celebration” despite the state of emergency.
In Washington, the US State Department urged Jammeh to “peacefully hand over power” to Barrow, but a military option is becoming more likely by the hour.
A source at Nigeria’s military HQ told AFP a deployment to Senegal, whose territory surrounds Gambia, would happen “very soon.”
Jammeh said Tuesday the emergency was necessary due to interference of foreign powers in the West African country’s Dec. 1 election, which the president of 22 years lost to opponent Adama Barrow.
Barrow, who is currently sheltering in neighboring Senegal, maintains his inauguration will go ahead on Thursday on Gambian soil, putting the country on a collision course.
Jammeh’s declaration immediately triggered travel advisory warnings by Britain and the Netherlands, with around 1,000 British tourists expected to leave on special flights on Wednesday alone.
“It’s because of the uncertainty and the likelihood an ECOWAS standby force will have to be deployed,” a diplomatic source told AFP.
The 15-nation Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) has repeatedly urged Jammeh to respect the outcome of the vote and step aside, a call backed by the UN Security Council, African Union and others.
The exact location of the inauguration was “in the hands of ECOWAS,” said James Gomez, the inauguration’s head organizer who said he had spoken with Barrow twice on Tuesday.
Gomez said that plans for the transfer of power in a huge stadium outside the capital Banjul were now canceled, but added “there will be a big celebration” despite the state of emergency.
In Washington, the US State Department urged Jammeh to “peacefully hand over power” to Barrow, but a military option is becoming more likely by the hour.
A source at Nigeria’s military HQ told AFP a deployment to Senegal, whose territory surrounds Gambia, would happen “very soon.”
