205 Ghanaian Troops Join ECOWAS To Restore Sanity In The Gambia
Troops from several West African countries are ready to enter the Gambia following Jammeh’s refusal to step-down from power.
President Yahaya Jammeh has held power in the Gambia since a military coup in 1994. His opponent, Adama Barrow beat him in last year’s election by securing 45% of the vote.
The outgoing president’s refusal to step down to his rival has brought instability to the country forcing ECOWAS to prepare for a combat action.
205 troops have been deployed from Ghana and entered The Gambia at dawn, following failed talks between Mauritania President Mohamed Abdel Aziz and Mr. Jammeh.
Ghana’s decision to join the ECOWAS team as contained in a release sent to Peacefmonline.com from the Flagstaff House, is to “create an enabling environment for the effective enforcement of the rule of law, and, in accordance with the Constitution of The Gambia, facilitate the inauguration of the President-Elect, Adama Barrow, on Thursday, January 19, 2017.”
Full statement below…
Ghana Deploys Troops To Support ECOWAS Mission In The Gambia
The President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has approved and authorised the deployment of a combat team of two hundred and five (205) troops, backed with the appropriate logistical equipment, to the Islamic Republic of The Gambia as part of the ECOWAS Mission in that country.
ECOWAS has decided, as a result of the refusal of President Yahaya Jammeh to accept the verdict of the Gambian people in the elections of December 1, 2016, to deploy troops from its member States to The Gambia with immediate effect.
The objective is to create an enabling environment for the effective enforcement of the rule of law, and, in accordance with the Constitution of The Gambia, facilitate the inauguration of the President-Elect, Adama Barrow, on Thursday, January 19, 2017.
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