African troops on standby as Gambian deadline expires
Senegalese troops backed by other African forces are poised to enter the country after Yahya Jammeh ignores deadline to stand down or face military action
Banjul, Gambia — Senegalese troops backed by other African forces were poised to enter The Gambia on Thursday after President Yahya Jammeh refused to leave office, ignoring a midnight deadline to stand down or face military action. Jammeh’s army chief said his troops would not fight their entry into the country, as the Mauritanian president flew out of The Gambia following hopes of a last-minute deal to convince Jammeh to hand over power. "We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute," Chief of Defence Staff Ousman Badjie said after eating dinner in a tourist district close to the capital Banjul, eyewitnesses said. "I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men," he added. "If they [Senegalese] come in, we are here like this," Badjie said, making a hands up or surrender gesture. Jammeh’s mandate ended at midnight (local and GMT) but he has steadfastly refused to leave office after losing elections in December to Adama Barrow,...
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