IGIHE

Category: Politics

  • Gambia’s Adama Barrow names VP, could go after Jammeh plunder

    {Gambian President Adama Barrow’s team announced Monday his vice-president would be a woman who has vowed to prosecute former leader Yahya Jammeh and take back assets she says were stolen from the nation.}

    The alleged plunder of some £11 million by Jammeh as he clung on to power in recent weeks has left the tiny African country in financial difficulty, a Barrow aide said.

    Barrow, who was sworn in as the new head of state on January 19 at his country’s embassy in neighbouring Senegal, has put off his return over fears for his safety.

    “Over two weeks, over 500 million dalasi ($11 million) were withdrawn” by Jammeh, Mai Fatty said on Sunday in Dakar. “As we take over, the government of The Gambia is in financial distress.”

    Jammeh also took luxury cars he piled onto a Chadian cargo plane, Fatty said.

    A development expert who previously worked for the United Nations, Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang is often described as the woman who persuaded The Gambia’s divided opposition parties to club together and field a single candidate — Barrow.

    She has also argued that a national commission for asset recovery should be established to take back land and goods Jammeh is accused of seizing for his own gain.

    {{IMMUNITY DEBATE}}

    Under the threat of a regional military intervention, Jammeh chose exile in Equatorial Guinea, which is not party to the International Criminal Court, and left The Gambia on Saturday.

    That means he cannot be extradited in the event he is charged with crimes against humanity or other serious offences.

    A truth and reconciliation committee is Barrow’s “preferred method” of dealing with grievances against the regime, his spokesman has said, but many Gambians take the harder line of his new vice-president.

    Sections of the security services were under Jammeh’s personal control and are responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention, rights groups say.

    Barrow has assured Jammeh he will have all the rights legally ensured to an ex-president, which under Gambian law includes immunity from prosecution, barring a vote by two-thirds of the national assembly.

    However, the new president is keen to break with the repression of the past and his spokesman announced Monday that the right to due process would now be respected.

    “There shall be no detainee without trial under his administration,” spokesman Halifa Sallah said.

    Critics have raised concerns over a statement issued by the United Nations, regional bloc ECOWAS and the African Union that seemed to offer Jammeh comfortable guarantees in return for his exit.

    The statement said “no legislative measures” would be taken that against Jammeh or his family, noting that he could return when he pleased and that property “lawfully” belonging to him would not be seized.

    {{PREPARATIONS FOR RETURN}}

    Meanwhile on the streets of Banjul, troops from five west African nations were securing the capital and its surrounds to ensure Barrow’s safe return.

    The Senegalese general leading the operation, Francois Ndiaye, came to Banjul to meet Gambian top brass, a statement by his office said, and to “reassure” the country’s population.

    Barrow hopes some of the 7,000 troops mobilised earlier this month by Senegal and four other nations would remain in place after his arrival.

    “I know that everyone is anxious that he comes,” Barrow spokesman Sallah said, also on Monday. “Everybody recognises we do not need any vacuum.”

    The Gambia’s army chief said Monday the regional troops were welcomed with open arms.

    Chief of defence staff Ousman Badjie told AFP the Malian, Senegalese, Togolese, Nigerian and Ghanaian soldiers “are our brothers,” adding “we are happy that they are here to complement our efforts.”

    Adama Barrow speaks during his swearing in as president of Gambia at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017.

  • DRC: Bishops optimistic political agreement will be signed by 28 January

    {Deal aimed at stemming violence that followed President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to relinquish the presidency.}

    Bishops leading negotiations with political leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have said they are positive every stakeholder will have ratified a crucial political agreement on 28 January.

    Pressure has been mounting for all opposition parties and the presidential majority (majorité présidentielle, MP) to sign the 31 December deal aimed at stemming the violence that followed President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to relinquish the presidency at the expiration of his mandate on 19 December.

    The deal will pave the way for the first ever peaceful transition of power in the resource-rich nation.

    Less than a month after political actors agreed in principle to the power-sharing agreement, the bishops believe they can succeed in ensuring the MP and the fractured opposition to find a consensus around the particular arrangement. A number of stakeholders are yet to sign the deal.

    After many delays, a direct negotiations session between the majority and the opposition finally took place on Sunday (22 January) under the aegis of the Catholic Church’s National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO). During the meeting, all parties agreed that the signing of the special arrangement would have to take place on 28 January.

    According to Père Clément Makiobo Malelo, executive secretary of the DRC Episcopal Justice and Peace Commission, who earlier spoke to IBTimes UK, stakeholders are still struggling to agree on issues related to the appointment of the Prime Minister, the formation of a government, its nomination and investiture.

    A new session is poised to take place later this afternoon (23 January) in the capital Kinshasa’s Diocesan Centre, during which political actors will address the sticky issues.

    The Implementation Council is also expected to be installed on 26 January, when opposition heavyweight Etienne Tshisekedi, who was nominated to lead the deal’s implementation, will be notified. Both the electoral commission (CENI) – which has been ordered to organise elections no later than December 2017 – and Committee of Monitoring of Fraud and anti-Corruption (CESAC) will be reshuffled.

    There are yet no indications as to whom may replace current Prime Minister Samy Badibanga under the new government of national unity.

    Government and opposition parties in the DR Congo emerge from the Catholic church's National Episcopal Conference of Congo, on 31 December 2016, after brokering a hard-won deal over President Joseph Kabila's fate

  • Burundi Parliament reacts to EU parliament accusations

    {On Saturday 21 January 2017, Burundi parliament issued a statement as a reaction to the European Parliament’s accusations of human rights violations in Burundi on Thursday 19 January 2017.}

    The Burundi Parliament says it has been outraged by the European Parliament’s press release at the end of the session of 19 January, expressing its concern about human rights violations in Burundi.

    The Lower Chamber of Parliament also says it regrets that the European parliament is not updated on the politico-security situation currently prevailing in Burundi: “Burundi parliament is on holidays from 30 December 2016. Since then, we have not got any case of human rights violations.”

    “The human rights situation in Burundi has improved remarkably. The administration, justice, police and population are working together, the reason why peace and security prevail throughout Burundi”, Burundian parliament says.

    The statement by the Burundian Parliament calls on the European Parliament to send a delegation to Burundi, to inquire about the real situation with regard to human rights in order to no longer rely on lies.

    Concerning the adoption of the laws on the organic framework of non-profit associations and the general framework for cooperation between Burundi and foreign NGOs in December 2016, Burundi Parliament said the adoption was one of their tasks: “Monitoring government’s actions and voting laws”.

    However, the European Parliament said it was worried about the adoption of two draft laws that establish tighter control over the actions of domestic and international NGOs by the National Assembly in Burundi on 23 and 28 December 2016. According to the European Parliament, those laws led to banning of League Iteka human rights organization from operating in the country.

    Burundi Parliament calls on Burundians to remain calm and get involved in development activities which, according to the statement, are the source of lasting peace.

  • France: Socialists cast votes for presidential hopeful

    {Primary sees leftist voters split as analysts predict general election will see conservatives battle the far right.}

    French left-wing voters cast their ballots in a presidential primary aimed at producing a socialist candidate strong enough to confront formidable conservative and far-right rivals in the coming general election.

    The preliminary rounds include seven potential presidential candidates, who left-wing voters hoped to strengthen on Sunday to confront right-wing opponents in the May 2017 general election.

    Manuel Valls, the centre-left former prime minister, was among the candidates.

    France’s left has decreased in popularity in recent years after President Francois Hollande’s economic reforms caused his socialist party to split.

    As a result, the elections have brought about several candidates whose programmes are reflective of leftist ideals.

    Some candidates criticised Valls’ lack of socialist principles as they associated him with Hollande.

    {{Leftist ideals re-emerge}}

    The former economy minister who quit Hollande’s government amid feuding, Arnaud Montebourg pledged his own economic policies. One policy would be to force business owners to raise employees’ wages if they raised their own.

    As he cast his ballot, Montebourg said he hoped to “bring together the other components of the left-wing and win this presidential election”.

    Former government minister Benoit Hamon promised to tax robots, legalise cannabis and grant a “universal income” of more than $600 a month to all French adults, including the poor.

    “I voted for Benoit Hamon because to me he is the one best placed to redress the Socialist party,” said Jean Claude, from the small town of Millau.

    However, some struggled to make a decision at the polls.

    Parisian Francoise Danzon said: “I think Montebourg’s and Hamon’s programmes are really on the left side, and they are interesting.”

    He added: “But I don’t really believe in it, totally, because to me it doesn’t seem really realistic.”

    {{The socialist vote is evaporating}}

    The socialists’ primary is viewed as a crucial test of the party’s ability to survive and even reinvent itself in upcoming rounds.

    “Turnout is much lower than the last socialist primary five years ago. By midday, some 400,000 had voted. That is very disappointing,” said Al Jazeera’s David Chater, reporting from Paris.

    “Last year, at the republican, conservative primaries, they got four million votes. It’s a real indication that the socialist vote is evaporating here,” he added.

    Polls, however, show majority support for conservative candidate Francois Fillon, and National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

    Overshadowing the left-wing voting is the nationalist sentiment that helped drive Donald Trump’s successful campaign for the US presidency and in several countries around Europe.

    Le Pen, along with other European far-right parties gathered for a conference in Germany’s Koblenz on Saturday, in a show of strength ahead multiple upcoming European elections this year.

    At the conference, Le Pen claimed recent anti-establishment victories by President Donald Trump and the Brexit campaign, as those of a rising populist right in Europe, adding that Europe was about to “wake up”.

    Al Jazeera’s Chater said France’s next leader would “bear the burden of Francois Hollande’s legacy – the most unpopular president in French modern history”.

    Socialist Party leaders expect up to two million voters to cast ballots in the upcoming primary round on January 29, out of the more than 40 million citizens registered on electoral rolls.

    With voters across Europe moving to the right, most polls currently show a Fillon-Le Pen win is the most likely scenario in May.

    Chater added that the socialists “don’t have much of a chance … they don’t have a fight in this election against Marine Le Pen”.

    The preliminary rounds include former socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls

  • I’ll hand over peacefully if I lose, says Uhuru

    {President Uhuru Kenyatta has pledged to peacefully hand over power to the Opposition should his Jubilee Party lose the next elections.}

    He will respect the will of Kenyans and abide by their decision, he said at Sagana State Lodge, Nyeri, on Sunday where he addressed a five-minute press conference.

    The President, who spoke at the end of a three-day voter registration mobilisation campaign in Murang’a, Meru and Isiolo counties, was responding to a question on whether or not he would hold on to power like President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia, who only agreed to leave at the weekend after losing the election on December 1.

    He called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to start mobile voter registration in semi-arid and pastoralist areas. The IEBC targets six million new voters in the ongoing mass registration phase ending on February 14.

    President Kenyatta ordered chiefs to deliver uncollected national identity cards to their owners. He said: “The National Registration Bureau has expedited the process of issuing IDs.

    “Chiefs are government workers and must take the IDs to the actual applicants. They know everyone in the village.”

    However, Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi challenged the President to ensure implementation of his directive to the registrar to issue ID cards within three days of application.

    Mr Mudavadi said in Busia that this should be done not only in Jubilee strongholds but across the country to ensure a level playing field in the August 8 General Election.

    “It is unfortunate that there are 120,000 identity card holders in Busia County who have not registered as voters,” said Mr Mudavadi. “This calls for concerted efforts to have them register as voters.”

    CLINCH PRESIDENCY

    Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) leader Raila Odinga has for the past week campaigned in his Nyanza political backyard, assuring his followers that he will clinch the presidency if they register in large numbers. He argued that the opposition alliance (Nasa) has enough votes to make President Kenyatta a one-term president.

    “A research we have carried out shows that the Opposition has more than 11 million voters in the country, which can take us to State House,” Mr Odinga said in Kisii.

    The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party chief said Cord was sure of getting at least 3.5 million votes in Nyanza, three million in Ukambani, 2.5 million in western and two million in Coast region. He said the Opposition will protect those votes.

    “Mara hii sitarudi kwenu nikilalamika kuwa nimeibiwa kura (this time round I will not come back to you protesting that my votes were stolen,” said Mr Odinga.

    In Baringo, Deputy President William Ruto said Jubilee was on course to retain the presidency, which he attributed to the government’s performance record, and asked supporters not to be in any doubt.

    The DP spoke at Churo, Kipsaraman, Kabartonjo and Kabarnet grounds in Baringo County on Saturday while launching development projects. Launching the Last Mile project in Churo and a power sub-station in Kipsaraman, he said the Jubilee administration has a clear agenda of transforming the country and the lives of Kenyans.

    Mr Ruto cited infrastructural projects, agriculture, health, education and electricity distribution as Jubilee’s key investments.

    Saying the Opposition lacked focus on Kenyans’ needs, he cautioned Rift Valley residents against gambling with the regions’ vote, saying it was critical for a Jubilee win.

    ADDRESSING ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

    “The government is committed and interested in addressing economic challenges facing Kenyans and not engaging in political rhetoric and useless debates by the Opposition,” said Mr Ruto. “Opposition leaders are now scared that the number of voters in support for the Jubilee Party is increasing tremendously across the country ahead of August.

    “They are now terming our voters as ‘ghost voters’ because they are in a panic mode.”

    The DP advised Kenyans to take up the opportunity of registering as voters to be an act of practising democratic rights to choose responsible leaders who have the nation’s interest at heart.

    Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, the Kanu chairman, who has opposed the new party, gave the DP’s tour a wide berth. He was conspicuously absent in all the stopovers made by the DP’s entourage in his home turf.

    Mr Ruto promised residents that he would tour the region with President Kenyatta.

    “We will be here with the President after two weeks to commission the Sh450 million new equipment at the Baringo County Referral Hospital and other projects in this county,” said Mr Ruto.

    At Kabartonjo town, Baringo Woman Representative Grace Kiptui and Baringo North MP William Cheptumo faced hostility from the electorate. Angry residents heckled and restricted them from speaking.

    Meanwhile, Wiper Democratic Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka is today expected to start voter mobilisation in Machakos, Kitui, Makueni and Kajiado counties.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta shares a light moment with William Kamore (left) and Moses Kariuki of Thitima anthem at Sagana State Lodge, Nyeri County on January 22, 2017.

  • Gambia’s Jammeh leaves country after trying to cling to power

    {Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh flew out Saturday from the country he ruled for 22 years to cede power to President Adama Barrow and end a political crisis.}

    Mr Jammeh refused to step down after a December 1 election in which Mr Barrow was declared the winner, triggering weeks of uncertainty that almost ended in a military intervention involving five other west African nations.

    The long-time leader, wearing his habitual white flowing robes, waved to supporters before boarding a small, unmarked plane at Banjul airport alongside Guinea’s President Alpha Conde after two days of talks over a departure deal.

    He landed in Conakry, Guinea’s capital but set off again for Equatorial Guinea, where he will remain in exile, the president of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), Marcel Alain de Souza, said at a Dakar press conference.

    “No legislative measures” would be taken that would infringe the “dignity, security, safety and rights” of Jammeh or his family, Ecowas said in a joint declaration with the African Union and United Nations.

    Mr Jammeh could return to The Gambia when he pleased, the statement added, and property “lawfully” belonging to him would not be seized.

    Mr Jammeh finally said he would step aside in the early hours of Saturday morning and hand power to Mr Barrow, who has been in neighbouring Senegal but is expected back in The Gambia imminently.

    1994 COUP

    “I call on President Barrow to come in immediately and take over the supreme responsibility of president, head of state, commander in chief and first citizen of our republic,” Mr Jammeh said, according to remarks read out on state television before he left the country.

    It would be improper not to “sincerely wish him and his administration all the best,” he added.

    Mr Jammeh took power in a 1994 coup from the country’s only other president since independence from Britain, Dawda Jawara, making this The Gambia’s first democratic transition of power.

    The choice of Equatorial Guinea for his exile helps ease concerns that Mr Jammeh might interfere in his nation’s politics if he stayed in Guinea, whose border is not far from The Gambia’s eastern region.

    Scenes of jubilation broke out almost immediately on streets near Banjul, the port capital, after the news filtered out that Mr Jammeh had gone.

    “We are free now. We are no longer in prison. We do not have to watch our back before we express our opinions,” said Fatou Cham, 28, who was celebrating with her friends.

    Activists will be keen to see Mr Jammeh — who controlled certain sections of the security forces — refused amnesty for crimes committed during his tenure, which was marked by systematic rights abuses.

    Jim Wormington, West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, called Mr Jammeh’s departure “the chance to usher in an era based on respect for the rule of law and human rights.”

    WEEPING SUPPORTERS

    Mr Jammeh attempted to build a personality cult and has left behind a small minority of diehard supporters, some of whom wept as his plane departed.

    “We wanted to be behind this man for a century or more,” said Alagie Samu, speaking on the tarmac. “He is the most successful, visionary leader in the entire world.”

    Dressed in green, the colour of his political party, some were loyal to the end.

    “No human being is perfect, but for 22 years in the country here he has tried hard for Gambians,” said a woman with cheeks wet from tears, who did not wish to be named.

    The Gambia is one of the world’s poorest nations and although education and health standards have lifted in recent years, poverty remains endemic.

    With Mr Jammeh gone, all eyes will be on the Barrow administration as they make their first steps as a government of reform and development.

    “The will of the people has come to be at last,” said Isatou Touray, a key official in the government-in-waiting. “Democracy is back, you can’t stop the people.”

    Army chief Ousman Badjie, a former Jammeh loyalist, has pledged allegiance to President Barrow along with top defence, civil service and security chiefs.

    The first priority will be to help the tens of thousands who have fled in recent weeks fearing a bloody end to the crisis to return safely, Touray said earlier Saturday.

  • Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US president

    {Donald Trump becomes 45th president as protests against his inauguration turn violent in Washington, DC.}

    Donald Trump has been officially sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, ushering in a new political era.

    The inauguration took place outside US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Friday, as protesters clashed with police nearby.

    “Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come,” Trump said in his inaugural speech.

    “We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.”

    The Republican president added: “For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth.”

    He also pledged to unite the world against “radical Islam”.

    Taking aim at immigration and international trade, he said: “We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.”

    After finishing his inaugural speech, Barack Obama, the outgoing president, told him: “Good job, good job”.

    Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington, DC, said: “Donald Trump focused on really saying ‘everything is broken, but we’re going to make it better’.”

    “It is shocking. I was here for both of Barack Obama’s inaugurations and the crowd here is remarkably small compared to then. Another observation I have to share is that it is an incredibly white crowd.”

    About 28,000 security personnel, kilometres of fencing, street barricades, and trucks laden with sand were part of the security cordon around eight square kilometres of central Washington for the ceremony.

    Thousands of protesters still converged on the capital. While the vast majority of the demonstrations passed peacefully, some protesters resorted to violence to express their dislike for the new president and his policies.

    At least 217 people were arrested in a series of clashes, police said.

    Police in riot gear used pepper spray and stun grenades to prevent the chaos from spilling into Trump’s formal procession and evening balls.

    Less than two kilometres from the inauguration ceremony, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonald’s as they denounced capitalism and Trump.

    The crowd, which carried at least one sign that read “Make Racists Afraid Again”, also vandalised several cars and hurled rubbish bins and newspaper vending boxes into the streets before being dispersed by police.

    Earlier, liberal activists with a separate group called Disrupt J20 intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the ceremony. Several were led away by police.

    Disrupt J20 protest organiser Alli McCracken, 28, of Washington, said the group was voicing opposition to Trump’s discriminatory comments about women, undocumented immigrants and Muslims.

    “We have a lot of people of diverse backgrounds who are against US imperialism and we feel Trump will continue that legacy,” McCracken said on a grey morning with light rain.

    Trump supporters also flooded into the capital, many sporting shirts and hats bearing his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.

    Other protests and demonstrations took place across the country, and in the rest of the world.

    Heading into the Oval Office shortly after the conclusion of his inaugural parade, Trump made good on a campaign promise to start dismantling his predecessor’s healthcare law.

    He signed an order on the Affordable Care Act that urged government departments to “waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation” of provisions that imposed fiscal burdens on states, companies or individuals.

    Trump, a 70-year old businessman, has no previous political experience. He is a former reality TV star whose campaign dominated headlines with his shocking comments on minorities, women and rival politicians.

    During the run-up to the November 8 election, he promised to ban Muslims from entering the US. He also promised to build a wall along the Mexican border to deter Mexicans from travelling to America. Later, a recording was leaked of him saying that he grabs women’s genitals when the mood takes him. He called his main Democratic rival Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” during a debate.

    Speaking at the inauguration, Chuck Schumer, a senator from New York, said that America is now living in a “challenging and tumultuous time” in the run-up to the oaths.

    “Faith in our government, our institutions and even our country can erode,” he said. “Today, we celebrate one of democracy’s core attributes: the peaceful transfer of power.”

    Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office, which was witnessed by Trump’s wife, the First Lady Melania Trump.

    Mike Pence, vice president, was also sworn in front of a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

    Donald Trump, a 70-year-old former reality TV star, pledged to protect US borders and create jobs

  • Donald Trump: US will wipe out ‘Islamic terror groups’

    {After inauguration, White House announces immediate policy to ‘unite civilised world’ to defeat and destroy ‘terrorism’.}

    The Trump administration will make defeating “radical Islamic terror groups” its top foreign policy goal, according to a statement posted on the White House website moments after Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president.

    Trump used his inaugural address on Friday to promise to “unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth”.

    In the statement titled “America First Foreign Policy,” the Trump administration said: “Defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority.” ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also called ISIL.

    In order to “defeat and destroy” ISIL and similar groups, the new American administration said it “will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary”, work to cut off funding for armed groups, expand intelligence sharing, and use “cyberwarfare” to disrupt propaganda and recruitment efforts.

    The statement offered no indication of how Trump’s policies might differ from those of his predecessor Barack Obama.

    The Obama administration also pursued those broadly described strategies: working with European and Middle Eastern allies in a bombing campaign targeting ISIL leaders and their oil infrastructure, authorising US special forces operations against the group, and using sanctions and other methods to cut off its financing.

    Trump’s speech and the statement echoed his campaign criticism of Obama and his election rival, Hillary Clinton, for not using the phrase “radical Islamic terror” to describe ISIL and other hardline groups.

    Obama argued that using the term would conflate “murderers” with “the billion Muslims that exist around the world, including in this country, who are peaceful”.

    Clinton said using the phrase would play into the hands of armed groups that want to portray the United States as at war with Islam.

    Trump has been criticised after pledging during the election campaign to implement a “total and complete” ban on Muslims from entering the United States.

    The Trump administration pledged to use 'cyberwarfare' to disrupt ISIL propaganda and recruitment efforts

  • Gambia’s Jammeh declares he will step down

    {Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh said Saturday he would step down to keep peace in his country after 22 years in power, following last-chance talks with west African leaders before a military intervention.}

    Jammeh spent hours with Guinea and Mauritania’s presidents on Friday in Banjul, where agreement was reached that he would hand power to Adama Barrow, the declared winner of elections last month.

    “I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation with infinite gratitude to all Gambians,” Jammeh said in a statement broadcast on state television.

    The leader declared his decision to leave office — after weeks of stalling through threats and legal action — was his alone, despite immense pressure from the international community.

    However, agreement was not reached on where he would spend his life after his presidency.

    “My decision today was not dictated by anything else than the supreme interest of you the Gambian people and our dear country,” Jammeh said in his speech, thanking Gambians for their support.

    “At a time when we are witnessing trouble and fears in other parts of Africa and the world the peace and security of the Gambia is our collective heritage which we must jealously guard and defend,” he added.

    His actions will be carefully monitored in the hours and days after the declaration, as he has said once before he would step down and recognise Barrow as the winner, just after the election.

    Troops from five African nations are stationed on the tiny west African nation’s borders in the event Jammeh does not keep his word, and it was thought Conde would stay into Saturday to iron out remaining disagreements.

    The Gambian strongman did not mention any future plans in the state television address, meaning these details may have yet to be decided.

    {{LIVE IN EXILE}}

    “Jammeh has accepted he will leave power. The discussions revolve around where he will live in exile and the conditions around that,” a Mauritanian source close to the delegation in Banjul told AFP.

    A highly-placed Guinean source said the country of exile had to be far enough away to stop Jammeh interfering in his country’s affairs.

    The Guinean source mentioned Equatorial Guinea as a possible option, while diplomats discussed the possibility of Morocco.

    Isatou Touray, a top official in Barrow’s coalition, told AFP there was “no deal yet” late on Friday,

    {{LAST DITCH ATTEMPT}}

    Aziz and Conde met at Jammeh’s seat of power, State House, and the three men observed Friday prayers together at a nearby mosque, while Barrow prayed with Senegalese ally President Macky Sall in Dakar.

    Barrow, who was sworn in at The Gambia’s embassy in Dakar on Thursday, will take over from Jammeh as soon as his safety can be guaranteed.

    The new president hailed a “victory of the Gambian nation” and demanded loyalty from his armed forces in his swearing-in speech.

    Jammeh’s actions sparked a major political crisis that has sent Gambians and tourists — vital for the tiny country’s economy — fleeing.

    {{CHANGE HIS MIND?}}

    A Banjul-based diplomatic source told AFP the final deal would be “a joint statement between Barrow and Jammeh,” but cautioned the mercurial strongman could “quite easily” change his mind.

    That source spoke of a three-day grace period for Jammeh with foreign troops on standby until he definitively quits the country.

    An imminent military operation, dubbed operation “Restore Democracy”, was suspended late Thursday to allow the final push to convince Jammeh to leave.

    As white flags reportedly flew from Gambian army posts in the countryside, sources suggested there was a gradual acceptance of Barrow, even among units known for loyalty to Jammeh.

    {{SHIFTING LOYALTIES}}

    A diplomatic source said a faction had “switched sides” among the elite Republican Guards who assure Jammeh’s personal protection, following meetings among themselves at their Bakau barracks close to Banjul.

    Gambia’s army chief Ousman Badjie said foreign troops would be welcomed “with a cup of tea” rather than gunfire if they intervene to ensure Jammeh stands down.

    “Why should we fight?”, said Badjie, a former Jammeh loyalist.

    “This is a political misunderstanding. There is no military solution to a political problem, let me tell you. We are not fools. I love my soldiers. I love the Gambian people. Nobody is going to be hurt here.”

    {{CABINET DISSOLVED}}

    Police chief Yankuba Sonko and customs boss Momat Cham also swore allegiance to Barrow, a government source who asked not to be identified told AFP.

    After a string of ministerial resignations this week, Jammeh however appeared determined to stand his ground to the last, announcing he was dissolving the government and taking over.

    The uncertainty has continued to push Gambians to flee the country and the United Nations refugee agency said around 45,000 had left so far, more than 75 percent of them children, mostly accompanied by women.

    “They are staying with family members, host families or in hotels. Some families are hosting up to 40 to 50 people and will soon need support as they may quickly run out of resources,” a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report said.

    Veteran Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh in Banjul on November 29, 2016.

  • Gambia: Yahya Jammeh gets a final deadline to step down

    {Regional leaders postpone military intervention until Friday at noon, giving last chance to Yahya Jammeh to step aside.}

    West African leaders have given Yahya Jammeh, who lost elections last month, until midday on Friday to hand over power and agree to leave The Gambia or face military action carried out by the regional bloc ECOWAS.

    West African troops entered the country to bolster its new President Adama Barrow – who was sworn-in on Thursday – but military operations were suspended a few hours later in favour of a final diplomatic push to convince Jammeh, who has stubbornly refused to quit, to exit peacefully.

    “We have suspended operations and given him an ultimatum,” said Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    “If by midday he doesn’t agree to leave The Gambia … we really will intervene militarily.”

    Final talks were being led by Guinean President Alpha Conde in The Gambia’s capital, Banjul, on Friday morning, according to de Souza.

    He said a total of 7,000 troops along with tanks had been mobilised by Senegal and four other nations, which had crossed into the tiny tourist-friendly country on Thursday evening without resistance.

    Support for the long-ruling leader has been crumbling. The army chief joined ordinary citizens celebrating in the streets on Thursday seven weeks after contested polls.

    “Diplomacy is a long road – it always has been and always will be – so every opporutiny to find a resolution is the best means possible for the region,” Robin Sanders, a former US ambassador to ECOWAS, told Al Jazeera.

    “The last thing that West Africa needs is another conflict.”

    While there has been talk that a deal may include amnesty for Jammeh, whose regime has been accused of various human rights abuses, Sanders said this would set a bad precedent.

    “Also in this case, I am not in the camp of complete amnesty because what you do is signal additional impunity going forward with other leaders, not only just in the continent but across the world,” she said.

    Barrow was sworn in at The Gambia’s embassy in Dakar, in neighbouring Senegal, on Thursday.

    Celebrations erupted in Banjul, meanwhile, where tensions have run high over the crisis, especially since the declaration of a state of emergency by Jammeh made on Tuesday.

    Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician, had flown into Senegal on January 15 to seek shelter after weeks of rising tension over Jammeh’s stance.

    At least 26,000 people have fled The Gambia for Senegal since the start of the crisis fearing unrest, the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said on Wednesday, citing Senegalese government figures.