Adama Barrow

The Gambia’s President-elect Adama Barrow will be inaugurated at 4pm today, Thursday January 19, at The Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal.

 

 

Mr. Barrow tweeted extending  an open invitation to his fans to witness the swearing-in ceremony.

“President Elect-Adama Barrow is a Gambian and will be sworn in Gambia,January 19th.Nobody will abrogate that right” Halifa Sallah,Coalition pic.twitter.com/8OBJQKvYic

— Adama Barrow (@BarrowOfficial1) January 18, 2017

Meanwhile, Troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have entered The Gambia without any resistance from the country’s military.

The ECOWAS troops entered The Gambia after midnight, hours after last minute talks between Mauritania President Mohamed Abdel Aziz and Mr Jammeh fell through.

The country’s President-elect Adama Barrow is expected to be sworn in today, January 19.

He is currently waiting in neighbouring Senegal to be flown in after the operation to remove Jammeh is over.

A statement from the Flagstaff House Wednesday said President Akufo-Addo approved and authorized the deployment of a combat team of Two Hundred and Five (205) troops, backed with the appropriate logistical equipment, to support the ECOWAS troops.

Senegal gave him a midnight GMT deadline to quit, and Nigeria has sent an air force unit to Senegal in support of the possible intervention. Wednesday was meant to be his last day in office, but parliament has granted him three more months in the post.

It effectively stops successor Adama Barrow from being sworn in on Thursday.

His shock victory in the December 1 election plunged The Gambia into crisis. West African countries are seeking UN backing to intervene militarily to eject Mr Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

Meanwhile, thousands of UK and Dutch tourists are being evacuated from the tiny West African state, which is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches.