Military backs new president

Gambia: Support seeping away from ousted leader who refuses to quit

The chief of Gambia’s defence forces has pledged his allegiance to the west African country’s new president in a major shift as mediation continues to persuade the defeated Yahya Jammeh to cede power.

Ousmane Badjie said the country’s security services all support the newly inaugurated Adama Barrow and would not fight a regional force which is poised to push out Mr Jammeh if talks fail.

Without Gambia’s security forces and with his cabinet dissolved, Mr Jammeh is increasingly isolated as the last-minute talks continued at his official residence in the capital Banjul, with the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania.

Mr Barrow – elected president last month – was sworn in on Thursday, and the UN Security Council voted unanimously to approve the regional military intervention.

The inauguration took place at the Gambian embassy in Senegal for Mr Barrow’s safety.

The west African regional force, including tanks, moved in during the evening without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the west African regional bloc, Ecowas. At least 20 military vehicles were seen at the border town of Karang.

The regional force, including troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, moved in after Mr Barrow’s inauguration and the UN vote.

Mauritania has been mentioned as a possible home in exile for Mr Jammeh, who began negotiations on Thursday with Ecowas and agreed to step down, but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power.

He also wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, but those demands are not acceptable to Ecowas.

SHOW OF STRENGTH: A convoy of Senegalese armoured cars en route for the Gambia border near Karang