Banjul - Barra ferry |
Unless Jammeh steps down and peacefully transfers power to the newly-elected Adama Barrow, the ECOWAS Commission has empowered member states to constitute a military force to be led by Senegal to enforce the decision of ECOWAS.
Banjulians fleeing to safety |
It is evident from recent statements of the Jammeh regime that the claims made by the Nigerian Chief Justice, Emmanuel Fagbenle, that the government has hired judges last July are blatantly false because no evidence has been provided neither by him nor the Minister of Justice to the contrary. We continue to wait for proof that indeed Supreme Court judges have been hired in time for the 10th July Supreme Court sitting.
While ECOWAS prepares to exercise the military option, the Nigerian President and ECOWAS mediator Muhammadu Buhari has sent his Mediation Support Team (MST) to the Gambia to meet with stakeholders to ensure that a successful transfer of power takes place January 19th. The MST's initial mission is the first phase of the preparatory and support work that will lead to a high level meeting of President Buhari and the stakeholders,
According to both Presidents Buhari and Macky Sall, a peaceful resolution of the political impasse is still preferred to the robust military option which is still on the table. The choice is Jammeh's to make - go peacefully without preconditions (at least, as far as ECOWAS is concerned) or be dealt a severe blow.