Troops enter Gambia as defeated ruler clings to power

West African troops have entered Gambia in a bid to depose the country’s defeated ruler, who is still clinging to power after a newly elected president was sworn in Thursday.

Adama Barrow was sworn into office Thursday in a hastily arranged ceremony at the Gambian Embassy in neighbouring country of Senegal. The small embassy room held about 40 people, including Senegal’s prime minister and the head of Gambia’s electoral commission.

“This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in a lifetime,” Barrow said in a speech immediately after taking the oath of office. The ceremony was broadcast on Senegalese television. A jumbo TV screen broadcast the swearing-in ceremony to several hundred watching outside the embassy

Also at the event were officials from West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, which had been threatening to invade Gambia to force outgoing president Yahya Jammeh to step down. The first troops moved in Thursday, according to a Senegal army spokesman.

Jammeh, who first seized power in a 1994 coup, calls himself the “King of Gambia” and insists that his rule was ordained by Allah. He initially conceded defeat after the December election, but after reports emerged suggesting he could face criminal charges linked to his rule, he changed his mind.

“If he wants to remain in office after today, shit will fall like rain over him from the sky,” a Nigerian official said.

Jammeh was at his official residence in Banjul, State House, and intended to stay there, said an official close to the administration who was not authorized to speak to reporters. If the West African regional force is going to arrest Jammeh, it will have to be at State House, he said.

Many of Jammeh’s loyalists at State House will resist, the official added.

Loyalties divided

But Gambia’s army of an estimated 900 soldiers is divided over its loyalties to Jammeh, and those not sympathetic to him will not leave until they are invited by the new government, the official said.

The UN Security Council was expected to vote Thursday on a draft resolution endorsing the West African regional force’s “all necessary measures” to remove Jammeh.

Jammeh has said he would not accept the results, claiming the election was marred by irregularities.

Jammeh has resisted strong international pressure for him to step down and allow Barrow to take office and allow a peaceful resolution to Gambia’s crisis.

African nations began stepping away from Jammeh, with Botswana announcing it no longer recognized him as Gambia’s president. His refusal to hand over power “undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance” in Gambia and Africa in general, it said.

The African Union earlier announced that the continental body would no longer recognize Jammeh once his mandate expired.

The U.S. Embassy in Dakar issued a warning to embassy personnel to stay at least 80 kilometres from the Senegal-Gambia border and to avoid military bases until at least Jan. 26.

The streets of Banjul were quiet Thursday, with few cars and scattered groups of men gathered on roadsides chatting under trees. Shops were closed and gasoline was in short supply. Very few tourists remained in the resorts.

‘We are behind Barrow’

Jammeh declared a state of emergency this week, but there were no signs of military activity and fewer checkpoints than in previous days.

Thousands of Gambians have fled the country, including some former cabinet members who resigned in recent days. Hundreds of foreign tourists, including many from Britain and the Netherlands, left on special charter flights.

“We are behind Barrow. We are not scared,” said taxi driver Boto Sane.

Another resident said the regional forces would be welcomed if they brought peace.

“We welcome ECOWAS. We like that they are coming,” said taxi driver Tata Saidy. “We are waiting to hear that now, at this moment, the president is Barrow.”