Wednesday, December 14, 2016

UN condemns takeover of Gambia's Electoral body by military



President Jammeh only days after electoral defeat has revoked his concession of the office. He is now demanding a recount and the military has now taken over the Electoral Commission. West African leaders have met with President Jammeh to urge him to accept the results. Ellen Sirleaf and Muhammadu Buhari met with the Jammeh on the behalf of ECOWAS nations. The fear is that the situation could lead to civil war spilling into other countries. Simultaneously, the UN condemnation could lead to the authorization of military force by Western powers. President Jammeh's party is also challenging the electoral results in the Supreme Court of Gambia. The UN could have disrupted a peaceful negotiation for the transfer of power. The ECOWAS delegation was attempting to solve an African problem, without having external intervention. Gambia is now being threatened with sanctions. The question that now comes is what will happen if President Jammeh does not leave office?  The possibilities are not pleasant prospects. There could be scenarios similar to Ivory Coast or Libya. This is only the beginning of a long struggle. Only time will tell where it might lead.     

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