Troops ready to enter Gambia as president Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down

A midnight deadline has passed in the
Gambia, leaving the African country in flux with
two presidents and West African troops massed
on the border.
Outgoing President Yahya Jammeh has refused to
step down since losing December election to rival
Adama Barrow, who was due to take power on
Thursday.
Troops from several West African countries were
ready to enter Gambia if Jammeh didn't step
aside by midnight, Colonel Seydou Maiga Moro
with the Economic Community of West Africa
States (ECOWAS) told Senegal's state media.
"All the troops are already on site," Moro said. "If
no solution has been reached by midnight, we
will take action."
Hours after the deadline passed, it was unclear
whether they'd made good on the pledge.
Jammeh has held power the Gambia since a
military coup in 1994 until a surprise loss in the
December 1 vote , where his opponent won 45% of
the vote.

Tourists flee as troops prepare
Hundreds of tourists were pouring out of the
Gambia on Wednesday as the risk of violence
grew.
In a statement on its website, British tour operator
Thomas Cook said it would be flying home 985
vacationers from the country within 48 hours, as
well as potentially another 2,500 people who only
booked flights through the company.
The UK Foreign Office also updated its advice to
travelers, cautioning against all but essential
travel to the Gambia.
"The potential for military intervention and civil
disturbance is high and could result in Banjul
International Airport being closed on short notice,"

the site said.
Senegal, Ghana, Togo and Mali are among the
countries who have contributed to the military
effort, while the Nigerian Air Force said in a
statement 200 Air Force troops would join
ECOWAS forces.
"The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or
breakdown of law and order that may result from
the current political impasse in Gambia," the
statement said.
State of emergency declared
After his loss on December 1, Jammeh originally
conceded defeat and said he would step down --
but in just over a week, he changed his mind.

"I announce to you, Gambians, my total rejection
of the election results and thereby annulling the
elections in its entirety," Jammeh said in a speech
on December 9.
Since then, attempts by African leaders and the
United States to convince Jammeh to leave have
been unsuccessful.
On Tuesday, the outgoing president declared a
state of emergency in the country, claiming "a
situation exists which, if it is allowed to continue,

may lead to a state of public emergency."
Speaking in a televised statement, Jammeh also
claimed he had filed an application with Gambia's
Supreme Court to prevent Barrow being sworn in.
Barrow is currently waiting in neighboring Senegal
for the transition of power.
The President-elect's office insisted in a
statement last week that the election result
stands.