The small West African nation of Gambia is rapidly approaching a crucial deadline. On Thursday, authoritarian President Yahya Jammeh’s 23-year-long rule is set to end after his unexpected election defeat last month. But there is little indication that Jammeh intends to give up power.
Gambia’s Neighbors Reportedly Prepare Troops to Oust Brutal and Bizarre Dictator (Foreign Policy – January 17)
Gambia’s Strongman Seeks Asylum in Nigeria (International Business Times – January 12)
"Many people have wondered whether this might be the sort of arrangement that Jammeh had been seeking all along, and might help explain his sudden refusal to accept defeat. For many reasons, a deal that would land Jammeh in another country, safe and avoiding prosecution for his many brutal crimes, would send the wrong message," said Jeffrey Smith, director of Vanguard Africa.
The Gambia: Political Dispute Roils the Region and Beyond (The Cipher Brief – January 11)
Executive Director of Vanguard Africa Jeffrey Smith tells The Cipher Brief, “The Gambia is undoubtedly a pariah state in West Africa and an extreme outlier in regards to other countries in the region who are performing rather well on a range of issues, including respect for political rights, civil liberties, and economic advancement.”
Why a Political Crisis in this Small African Country May Have Big Global Implications (UN Dispatch – January 11)
"I think Gambians ought to be commended for the peaceful manner in which they have dealt with this increasingly tense situation, and in spite of Jammeh’s many provocations. Overall, Gambians are simply ready to move on. They are ready to move on from the Jammeh dictatorship and begin to heal from the collective trauma that they have suffered since July 1994."
Expert Commentary: A Pariah State in West Africa (The Cipher Brief – January 11)
Gambian Court Delays Election Decision to Next Week (Associated Press – January 10)
"The Supreme Court case faced an issue of credibility from the very outset," said Jeffrey Smith, a human rights activist and founding director of Vanguard Africa, a U.S.-based group that worked with Gambia's opposition coalition. "That Jammeh was appointing the same judges who would hear his own court petition is an absolute mockery of justice."
As Gambians Lose Fear, Jammeh’s Isolation Grows (Reuters – December 16)
The Gambia: Is it on Path To Turmoil? (Al Jazeera Inside Story program – December 11)
He is reputed to be one of the world's most repressive and eccentric leaders who vowed to rule The Gambia for a "billion years".
Following the presidential election 10 days ago, Yahya Jammeh shocked many by accepting defeat to his rival Adama Barrow.
Jammeh's conciliation was seen as the start of a new era of democracy in the smallest nation in mainland Africa.
Now it appears Jammeh won't be relinquishing power at all.
Will his demand for a new election mean chaos and instability? And how can a peaceful transfer of power be achieved?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Halifa Sallah - Spokesman for Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow
Jeffrey Smith - Executive Director of Vanguard Africa
Murtala Touray - West Africa analyst