Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh declares state of emergency

GAMBIA’S President Yahya Jammeh has declared a national state of emergency, just two days before he is supposed to cede power after losing elections last month.
The announcement of the state of emergency came hours after Gambia’s ministers for finance, tourism and culture, foreign affairs, trade, sport and the environment resigned from Jammeh’s government
In a national TV address, Jammeh said on Tuesday the 90-day measure was necessary because of “the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference” in a December 1 presidential vote, which he lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow.
Jammeh also cited external interference “the internal affairs of The Gambia and the unwarranted hostile atmosphere threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country”.
The state of emergency bans “acts of disobdience” and “acts intended to disturb public order”.
A former coup leader who has ruled the small West African country since 1994, Jammeh initially conceded defeat but a week later contested the poll’s results stating irregularities.
Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, is scheduled to take office on January 19.
He insists his inauguration will proceed as planned.
“The decision to declare a state of emergency was taken by the national parliament that convened, it seems, secretly,” Al Jazeera reported from Dakar in neighbouring Senegal, said.
“What this means is that all land, sea and air borders will be shut down. Gambia, as of right now, is effectively on lockdown.”
Jammeh is refusing to step down despite international pressure and the threat by other West African nations of a military intervention.
He has lodged a challenge to the election result with Gambia’s Supreme Court and last week filed a fresh injunction to prevent the chief justice from swearing Barrow into office.
Last week, the Supreme Court said Jammeh’s challenge to the election result could not be heard for several months as it did not have a full bench, and the extra judges needed to hear the case were not available.
The Gambia relies on foreign judges, notably from Nigeria, to staff its courts due to a lack of its own trained professionals.
Leaders of neighbouring countries and the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, have repeatedly called on the long-serving rule to leave office peacefully, so far to no avail.
“Military and diplomatic sources in Abuja say they are not overthrowing Jammeh,” Al Jazeera reporting from the Nigerian capital, said, “but are enforcing the mandate of ECOWAS and the African Union, as well as ensuring that the choice of the Gambian people is realised at the end of Jammeh’s term.
“There’s been a lot of diplomatic and military activity and preparations ahead of the deadline given to Jammeh to leave office.”