Gambia's president declares state of emergency

By Saikou Kalleh

Banjul, GAMBIA

Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has declared a 90-day state of emergency less than 48 hours before the inauguration of country’s president elect Adama Barrow who is currently in Senegal.

President Jammeh has lost in Gambia’s Dec 1 presidential election to Barrow but he rejected the results a week after conceding.

Jammeh said his “declaration is necessitated by the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference in the December 1 presidential elections and also in the internal affairs of Gambia and the unwarranted hostile atmosphere threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country”.

He argued that the state of emergency will also “prevent a constitutional crisis and avoid a power vacuum”.

He also assured “civil liberties are to be fully respected”.

Gambia is currently facing a possible military showdown with regional forces if Jammeh refuses to step down, ECOWAS has warned.