The President of Gambia Yahyah
Jammeh has given his first public reaction to ECOWAS leaders’ request for him
to respect the result of the 1 December polls, assuring they would attend the
inauguration on 19 January.
Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
of Liberia, and Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone are understood to have warned
Mr. Jammeh that if he does not step down immediately, he will face tough
measures including sanctions.
Addressing
members of the Africa Bar Association, the president said the action of the
West African leaders amounted to a violation of the ECOWAS charter itself which
talks about noninterference in the internal affairs of member states. He said
the regional leaders had asked him to leave the country. “Who
are they to tell me to leave my country” he thundered.
He said he made it clear to the leaders that he would not accept
their proposal for him to accept the election result and warned that any
attempt to enforce the result would be resisted. “Let
them enforce it today and see. What are they waiting for!”
He
furthered called ECOWAS bluff, saying he won’t step down,
challenging West African leaders to dare come to his country to inaugurate
Barrow.
He said: “I am a man of peace but that does not
mean that I will not defend my country…courageously, patriotically and win.” He reiterated his call for fresh
elections as the only way to resolve the impasse.
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