Cede or be forced out, Gambian leader told

Banjul: The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania arrived in Gambia’s capital Friday in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get defeated President Yahya Jammeh to cede power, while a regional military force was awaiting orders to act.

The head of the regional force has said the troops will force Jammeh out if he doesn’t step aside. A noon deadline set by the regional body passed as the Guinean and Mauritanian leaders arrived for talks. On Thursday, Adama Barrow was inaugurated as Gambia’s new president and the UN Security Council voted to approve the regional military intervention.

The force, including tanks, moved into Gambia Thursday evening and has met no resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen poised at the border town of Karang on Friday morning. The regional force, including troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, moved in after Barrow’s inauguration and the unanimous Security Council vote. AP