Jammeh holed up in presidential villa as Barrow is sworn in- Emma Emeozor

 
Defeated Gambia’s president Yahya Jammeh became virtual ‘hostage’ in the presidential villa in Banjul as the winner of the 1 December election, Adama Barrow, 51, was sworn in as the country’s new president in neighbouring Senegal. Jammeh has refused to step down
“This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in a lifetime,” Barrow said in a speech immediately after taking the oath of office. He demanded “loyalty” from the armed forces. He ordered all members of The Gambia’s armed forces to remain in their barracks. “Those found illegally holding arms will be considered rebels,” he warned.
He took the oath at the country’s embassy in Senegal’s capital, Dakar. Western ambassadors to Senegal, the United Nations envoy for West Africa and officials from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attended the ceremony, while hundreds of Gambian expatriates gathered outside the compound. The ceremony was broadcast on Senegalese television.
Reports said that in The Gambia capital, Banjul, few people came out to celebrate, timidly chanting the name of Barrow or waving at the cars driving by. He has been recognised internationally. This even as Jammeh’s term in office has been extended by parliament.  Gambian Information Minister Sidie Njie told the BBC yesterday that Jammeh would not leave his office.
Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia to ensure he assumes power as the country’s new president, a Senegalese army spokesman said. It came shortly after Barrow took the oath of office.
Senegalese army spokesman Col Abdou Ndiaye was quoted by news agencies as saying the country’s troops entered The Gambia yesterday afternoon. Nigeria said earlier in the day that its “armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia”, AFP reported. “They have the capacity to strike,” Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told the news agency.
Leaders of  ECOWAS  have threatened to remove  Jammeh by force. The United Nations has backed their support for Barrow. The 15-member Security Council stressed yesterday that this should be pursued “by political means first”.
Meanwhile, Botswana has become the first African state to announce that it no longer recognises Jammeh as The Gambia’s president following his refusal to hand power to Adama Barrow. In a statement, Botswana’s goverrnment said: “Jammeh’s decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.
“The Government of Botswana therefore continues to appeal to the international community to do all within its power to exert pressure on Mr Jammeh to hand over power in order to ensure a smooth transition.”
Barrow, a property developer who has never held public office, has been in Senegal since the weekend following an invitation to attend a summit of African leaders who back his victory.
He did not even go back home when his eight-year-old son died after being mauled by a dog. He missed the funeral on Monday as he was advised to remain in Senegal for his safety. He had tweeted and posted on Facebook that his inauguration would take place at 16:00 GMT at the embassy in the capital, Dakar, today (yesterday).
Barrow will not be the first opposition leader to have an unconventional presidential inauguration. Nor will The Gambia be the first African state to have rival presidents.
On 4 December 2010, Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara was sworn in at a hotel in the commercial capital, Abidjan, guarded by UN peacekeepers after the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat.
Gbagbo had his own inauguration earlier that day at the presidential palace in Abidjan. Gbagbo was arrested some four months later by French-led forces at the presidential palace, and is on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes. In contrast, Mr Ouattara is still the president, having won a second term in 2015. Unlike Mr Gbagbo, Mr Jammeh is not being sworn in for another term.

Culled from Sun