There are indications that the embattled former President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh has agreed to relinquish power, even as his request to remain in the country after leaving office was denied by the Economic Community Of West African State (ECOWAS).
Writing on Twitter on Friday, the new President who was sworn in at the neighbouring country, Senegal yesterday, Adama Barrow said that Jammeh, who ruled the country for 22 years and refused for weeks to step down after losing the recent election, has finally “agreed to leave.”
“I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today. #NewGambia,” he tweeted.
This was even as Jammeh who was said to have started negotiations with ECOWAS on Thursday, demanding an amnesty for any crimes that he may have committed during his 22 years in power should be forgiven. He also demanded that he should be permitted to stay in Gambia, at his home village of Kanilai.
But, according to the head of ECOWAS, Marcel Alain de Souza, those demands were not acceptable, saying that Jammeh’s continued presence in Gambia would “create disturbances to public order and terrorist movements.”
Meanwhile, The Gambia’s chief of defence forces, Ousmane Badjie has pledged his allegiance to the new president.
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.
West African troops had entered the country to bolster new President Barrow, but military operations were suspended in favour of a final diplomatic push to convince Jammeh to exit peacefully.
In his first media interview with Al Jazeera, Barrow said that he hoped the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could find him a safe haven. [myad]
