- Title: Ecowas and AU on way to Gambia, Barrow
- Date: 12th December 2016
- Summary: BANJUL, GAMBIA (DECEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT-ELECT ADAMA BARROW ARRIVING BARROW IN CAR BARROW GETTING OUT OF CAR BARROW WAIVING AS HE ENTERS BUILDING BARROW SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT-ELECT ADAMA BARROW, SAYING: "As president elect, I should not be exposed like the way I am today. I think that is the fundamental thing. I can be attacked by bandits or any other group, that's why it's a real concern." BARROW SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT-ELECT ADAMA BARROW SAYING: "As far as the chief of defence have called me, to give me their support and what he said, in his own words: 'we are going to support you 250 percent'." BARROW WITH JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT-ELECT ADAMA BARROW SAYING: "We expect the AU (African Union) and ECOWAS and UN, and I think a few presidents will be part of the delegation (Q: Which presidents?) I don't know but Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is at the head of the delegation." BARROW MAKING VICTORY SIGN VARIOUS OF MAI AHMAD FATTY, LEADER OF THE GMC (GAMBIA MORAL CONGRESS PARTY) AND MEMBER OF THE COALITION THAT CHOSE ADAMA BARROW ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS FATTY SEATED PHOTOGRAPHERS VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAI AHMAD FATTY, LEADER OF THE GMC (GAMBIA MORAL CONGRESS PARTY) AND MEMBER OF THE COALITION THAT CHOSE ADAMA BARROW SAYING: "We do not recognise that the outgoing president has the constitutional authority, in the last days of his presidency to appoint any supreme court judge in The Gambia and swear them in for the purpose of receiving his petition. In other words, it is our view, our firm conviction that outgoing president Jammeh has no constitutional authority." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAI AHMAD FATTY, LEADER OF THE GMC (GAMBIA MORAL CONGRESS PARTY) AND MEMBER OF THE COALITION THAT CHOSE ADAMA BARROW SAYING: "We reiterate the call to the international community, in particular, the United Nations Security Council, ECOWAS and the African Union and demand that outgoing president Jammeh immediately step down and hand over power. We also call on the APRC to prevail on their secretary general, the outgoing president Jammeh, to respect the outcome of the election." JOURNALISTS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 27th December 2016 16:37
- Keywords: Banjul Gambia election Jammeh Barrow Liberia Sirleaf ECOWAS AU
- Location: BANJUL, GAMBIA
- City: BANJUL, GAMBIA
- Country: Gambia
- Reuters ID: LVA0015CKXSUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Gambia's president-elect Adama Barrow said he was concerned for his safety in Banjul on Monday (December 12), days after President Jammeh said he did not recognise the election results.
He added that Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will lead a mission to Gambia on Tuesday (December 13) to mediate in a crisis brought on by the long-ruling Jammeh's refusal to step down.
Senegal issued a statement on Monday saying Heads of state from Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana will travel to Gambia on Tuesday to tell Yahya Jammeh to accept his defeat.
Jammeh had quickly conceded defeat to Barrow after a presidential election on Dec. 1. But in an about-face on Friday (December 9) that drew international condemnation, he denounced the results.
He plans to contest the result at the Supreme Court, raising the prospect that a shock opposition victory that was poised to end 22 years of autocratic rule will be overturned.
The United Nations will hold a meeting on Gambia behind closed doors on Monday.
Barrow said Jammeh had made a mistake when he made the statement on state television that the delegation would advise him to that effect.
A statement from the opposition coalition read to reporters in Barrow's presence on Monday called for Jammeh to step down immediately.
Before his surprise change of mind, he had pledged to hand over power to Barrow in January following the transitional period dictated by Gambian law.
However, Gambia has no sitting Supreme Court. In order to hear Jammeh's complaint, legal experts believe at least four judges must be hired. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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