A
constitutional crisis
In political science, a constitutional crisis is a problem or conflict in the function of a government that the constitution, political constitution or other fundamental governing law is perceived to be unable to resolve. There are several variat ...
occurred in
The Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
following
presidential elections
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The ...
in December 2016, in which challenger
Adama Barrow
Adama Barrow (, born 15 February 1965) is a The Gambia, Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of The Gambia since 2017.
Born in Mankamang Kunda, a village in Jimara district, he attended Crab Island Secondary ...
achieved an upset victory over longtime incumbent
Yahya Jammeh
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former soldier, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017. He was the Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 1994 ...
. It eventually concluded after a military intervention by the
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa. Collectively, the present and former members comprise an area ...
(ECOWAS) led to Jammeh's departure from the country.
Although Jammeh first accepted the victory of Adama Barrow on 1 December, he rejected the election results days later. Jammeh called for the election to be annulled, and appealed to the
Supreme Court
In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, which refused to rule on the matter. He then deployed troops to the capital of
Banjul
Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...
and the city of
Serekunda
Serekunda (or Serrekunda; ) is a major city and the largest metropolitan area in The Gambia. It is situated close to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast, on the Gambia River, near the capital, Banjul. Serekunda and Banjul form an urban area kno ...
. The
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
, where Jammeh's
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction
The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) is a political party in the Gambia. Founded by army officers who staged the 1994 coup, it was the dominant party of the Gambia from 1996 to 2016 under president Yahya Jammeh.
His ...
held an absolute majority, used emergency measures to extend Jammeh's rule.
The
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
and
ECOWAS, an organisation The Gambia joined under Jammeh's rule, called on him to step down. After he refused, ECOWAS assembled a coalition of military forces from
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
, and
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
to intervene in The Gambia using special provisions in the organisation's charter. Jammeh's term was initially scheduled to end on 19 January, and Barrow was sworn in as
President of The Gambia in his country's embassy in Senegal. At his request, ECOWAS troops entered the country that day without resistance of the
National Army or the
National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
. The
Navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
explicitly recognised Barrow as president. ECOWAS troops reached Banjul on 21 January, and Jammeh left the country to exile in
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location both near the Equ ...
. Barrow arrived to The Gambia as president on 26 January.
Initial reactions
Following the announcement of the results of the elections, opposition supporters widely celebrated the surprise victory and were stunned by Jammeh's concession of defeat.
Thousands of people celebrated in the streets of Banjul.
However, some expressed caution about what Jammeh might do next – suggesting that he could still try to retain power despite what had happened. A businessman said "I will only believe it when I see him leaving state house. He still controls the army, and his family are the top brass."
A few days after the election, 19 opposition prisoners were released, including
Ousainou Darboe, the leader of Barrow's
United Democratic Party. Darboe had been arrested in April 2016 and sentenced to three years in prison, and his arrest had led to Barrow's candidacy.
Interviewed shortly after the election, Barrow thanked the Gambian people, including those in the diaspora outside of the country, and appealed to them to put aside their differences and work together for the development of their country. He said, "I know Gambians are in hurry but not everything is going to be achieved in one day. I would therefore appeal to all Gambians and friends of the Gambia to join us and help move this great country forward. I don't want this change of regime to be a mere change. I want it to be felt and seen in the wellbeing of the country and all Gambians. So we are calling on all Gambians and friends of the Gambia to help us make the Gambia great again."
Barrow said his early priorities include helping the
agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
sector. He said "We don't have minerals here. The backbone of this country is agriculture. ... Under President Yahya's government, all those farming centres collapsed completely, and they no longer exist."
Asked about his plans for judicial reform, he said "We want a free and independent judiciary whereby nobody can influence the judiciary. We will put laws in place to protect those people running the judiciary. They will have that job security, they will have that independence. We will reduce the powers of the president."
Jammeh rejects results
On 9 December 2016, Jammeh appeared on
Gambian state television to announce that he had "decided to reject the outcome of the recent election" due to "serious and unacceptable abnormalities ... during the electoral process". He said that a new election should be held under "a god-fearing and independent electoral commission".
The announcement came after
Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, the chair of the opposition coalition, called for Jammeh's prosecution. Within a year after the handing over of power in January 2017 and said "We are going to have a national commission for asset recovery" to obtain the return of money and property from Jammeh and his family.
By 10 December, the
military of the Gambia was deployed in key locations in
Banjul
Banjul (, (US) and ), officially the City of Banjul, is the capital city of The Gambia. It is the centre of the eponymous administrative division which is home to an estimated 400,000 residents, making it The Gambia's largest and most densely ...
, the capital, and set up
sandbagged positions with
machine guns, although they were just waving the citizenry through the
checkpoints
Checkpoint may refer to:
Places
* Border checkpoint, a place on the land border between two states where travellers and/or goods are inspected
* Security checkpoint, erected and enforced within contiguous areas under military or paramilitary cont ...
.
Troops were also deployed in
Serekunda
Serekunda (or Serrekunda; ) is a major city and the largest metropolitan area in The Gambia. It is situated close to the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast, on the Gambia River, near the capital, Banjul. Serekunda and Banjul form an urban area kno ...
, the Gambia's largest city.
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s African correspondent speculated that the prospect of prosecution under a new government might have led security and military leaders to back Jammeh. An attempt by
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa. Collectively, the present and former members comprise an area ...
(ECOWAS) chair and
President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to negotiate a resolution to the dispute failed when Sirleaf's plane was not allowed to enter the country.
Jammeh's party, the
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction
The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) is a political party in the Gambia. Founded by army officers who staged the 1994 coup, it was the dominant party of the Gambia from 1996 to 2016 under president Yahya Jammeh.
His ...
(APRC), said it would follow up Jammeh's statement by petitioning the Supreme Court to invalidate the election results, meeting a 10-day deadline established by law for contesting an election.
There is currently a
Chief Justice of the Gambia, but there has not been an active Supreme Court in the country for a year and a half (since May 2015),
and it was thought that at least four additional judges would have to be appointed in order for the Supreme Court to convene to hear the case.
According to human rights groups interviewed by
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency ...
, Jammeh wields considerable influence over the courts. Of the three Chief Justices between 2013 and 2015, one was jailed, another was dismissed, while the third fled the country after acquitting someone whom Jammeh had wanted to be convicted.
Alieu Momarr Njai, the head of the elections commission, said that if it went to court, they would be able to show that the final tally was correct.
On 13 December, security forces took over the offices of the election commission and prevented the chief of the commission and its staff entering the building. The APRC submitted its appeal seeking the invalidation of the results. Meanwhile, the four regional leaders sent by ECOWAS met with Jammeh but left without an agreement.
The military ceased its occupation of the electoral commission's offices in late December and the government said that its staff was free to return to work. It said that the occupation was intended to prevent an attack on the building. It also called for calm and said that daily life should continue as usual. In his 2017 New Year address, Jammeh furiously criticized the position taken by ECOWAS, saying that "it is totally illegal as it violates the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states" and "is in effect a declaration of war and an insult to our constitution". He vowed that he was "ready to defend this country against any aggression and there will be no compromise for that".
Domestic reactions

On the same day as Jammeh's rejection of the results, Barrow said that Jammeh did not have the constitutional authority to nullify the vote and call for new elections, arguing that only the Independent Electoral Commission could do that. Barrow said he had moved to a
safe house for protection.
According to supporters protecting Barrow's residence, the police and
military of the Gambia had declined to protect the president-elect.
The third candidate in the election,
Mamma Kandeh, also called on Jammeh to step down, saying
"Your swift decision earlier to concede defeat and your subsequent move to call Adama Barrow to congratulate him was lauded throughout the world. We therefore prevail on you to reconsider your decision."
On 12 December, the Gambia
bar association
A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. held an emergency meeting.
They called Jammeh's rejection of the election results "tantamount to treason" and passed a unanimous resolution calling for the resignation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...
judge
Emmanuel Oluwasegun Fagbenle, for gross misconduct, saying he had shown a lack of independence and impartiality by campaigning for Jammeh and inappropriately interfering with decisions made by judicial officials.
The Gambia
teachers' union called Jammeh's action "a recipe for chaos and disorder which undoubtedly endangers the lives of all Gambians particularly our children".
The
Gambia Press Union, the
University of the Gambia, and the country's
medical association
A medical association or medical college is a trade association that brings together practitioners of a particular geographical area (a country, region, province). In common-law countries, they are often grouped by medical specialties ( cardiolo ...
and Supreme Islamic Council also supported the view that Jammeh should step aside and allow Barrow to assume the presidency.
On 20 December, twelve serving Gambian ambassadors sent a congratulatory letter to Barrow and called on Jammeh to step down. In response, Jammeh's new
Information Minister,
Seedy Njie said on 10 January 2017 that the twelve ambassadors had been fired.
On 13 January, Barrow said that Jammeh should not seek asylum in Nigeria, which had been suggested by some MPs in the
Nigerian Parliament
The National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a bicameral legislature established under section 4 of the Constitution of Nigeria The body consists of 109 members of the Senate and 360 members from the House of Representatives; The ...
. President Buhari of Nigeria continued trying to negotiate a peaceful end to the impasse. Barrow also stated that he would still be inaugurated on 19 January, despite the dispute. Talks aimed at ending the crisis ended without agreement on 14 January, prompting the
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
(AU) to state that it would no longer recognise Jammeh as president of The Gambia after 19 January. Barrow was instead invited to a regional summit in Mali to further discuss the transition of power. Barrow himself went to Senegal in the days before his inauguration, due to concerns for his safety.
He also suffered a personal tragedy during this period when his 8-year-old son died after being bitten by dogs.
Barrow missed the boy's funeral on 16 January 2017, as he did not feel safe to return to The Gambia to attend.
International reactions
Jammeh's action was condemned by the governments of the US and Senegal. The AU also declared that Jammeh's actions were "null and void".
After Senegal called for an emergency
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
(UNSC) meeting,
the UNSC declared in a unanimous statement that Jammeh must peacefully hand over power.
It was announced that a delegation of four West African
heads of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...
planned to go to The Gambia on 13 December to try to persuade Jammeh to accept the results of the election and step down. These included the President of Liberia and chair of ECOWAS Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the
President of Nigeria
The president of Nigeria, officially the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president directs the executive branch of the Federal Government an ...
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...
, the (outgoing)
President of Ghana
The president of the Republic of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana, as well as commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The current president of Ghana is John Mahama, who won the 2024 presidential elect ...
John Mahama
John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
, and the
President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma.
The African Union said it also planned to send a negotiating delegation to The Gambia, led by
President of Chad and chair of the AU
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
.
Federica Mogherini, the
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, issued a statement saying that the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
requested Jammeh to respect the outcome of the election and step down, and that "Any attempt to reverse carries the risk of serious consequences."
Samantha Power
Samantha Jane Power (born September 21, 1970) is an Irish-American journalist, diplomat, and government official who served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development from 2021 to 2025. She was the 28th Unite ...
, the
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the United States Mission to the United Nations, U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is formally known as the Permanent representative to the U ...
, said "It is a very dangerous moment."
On 14 December,
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
officials said that Jammeh would not be allowed to remain head of state and would face strong sanctions if he continues to try to do so after his current term expires.
Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Special Representative for
West Africa
West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
and the
Sahel
The Sahel region (; ), or Sahelian acacia savanna, is a Biogeography, biogeographical region in Africa. It is the Ecotone, transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north. The Sahel has a ...
said "For Mr. Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be president. By that time (18 Jan.), his mandate is up and he will be required to hand over to Mr. Barrow."
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was the South Korean minister ...
, the
Secretary-General
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...
of the United Nations, said the refusal to accept the election result was an "outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people".
When asked whether the U.N. would consider military action to force Jammeh's departure, Chambas did not rule out the possibility – saying only "It may not be necessary. Let's cross that bridge when we get there."
On 16 December, ECOWAS issued a statement saying that Barrow "must be sworn in" in order to "respect the will of the Gambian people", and that "The authority
COWASshall undertake all necessary actions to enforce the result of the election."
ECOWAS appointed
Muhammadu Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...
as its chief mediator for the dispute,
and appointed
John Mahama
John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
as co-mediator. On 19 December, the AU expressed its full support of the position taken by ECOWAS.
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
, chair of the AU, called ECOWAS's position a "principled stand with regards to the situation in The Gambia".
Despite pressure from regional leaders, Jammeh, speaking on television on the evening of 20 December, said that he would not leave office at the end of his term in January unless the
Supreme Court of the Gambia upheld the results. He again insisted that a new election was necessary: "I will not cheat but I will not be cheated. Justice must be done and the only way justice can be done is to reorganise the election so that every Gambian votes. That's the only way we can resolve the matter peacefully and fairly."
Striking a defiant tone, he rejected any foreign interference and declared that he was prepared to fight.
On 23 December, ECOWAS announced that they would send in troops if Jammeh failed to step down.
The president of the ECOWAS Commission,
Marcel Alain de Souza, said "The deadline is January 19 when the mandate of Jammeh ends."
The military intervention would be led by
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
.
De Souza said "If he doesn't go, we have a force that is already on alert, and this force will intervene to restore the will of the people."
Speaking on 7 January, Johnson Sirleaf emphasized the importance of peaceful resolution, saying that ECOWAS was "committed to a peaceful mediation and a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia. We will continue to pursue that for now".
Supreme Court consideration
Six additional appointments to the Supreme Court (five—Habeeb A. O. Abiru, Abubakar Datti Yahaya, Abubakar Tijani, Obande Festus and Akomaye Angim—from
Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
, and one—Nicholas Colin Brown—from
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
) were reported to have been made in secret, starting in October 2016, with the cooperation of Chief Justice Fagbenle.
One of the newly appointed justices, Akomaye Angim, is a former Chief Justice of The Gambia.
However, it was not clear whether the new justices had all accepted their appointments – especially in the case of Abiru, who was reported to be planning to reject his appointment and to meet with other appointees who may do the same.
Fagbenle said on 21 December that a Supreme Court hearing to consider the APRC's appeal would be held on 10 January 2017, with the newly appointed judges.
On 10 January, the date on which the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the APRC's appeal of the election results, Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle said the foreign judges that had been appointed to hear the case would only be available in May or November, so the hearing of the case needed to be delayed for several months.
Fagbenle said "We can only hear this matter when we have a full bench of the Supreme Court", and officially adjourned the session until 16 January.
Onogeme Uduma, a Nigerian who was intended to act as the president of the court, was reported to be unavailable until May.
It was also reported that one of Jammeh's top ministers, Sherriff Bojang, had resigned in protest over Jammeh's refusal to accept defeat, although state television reported that Bojang had been sacked.
Fagbenle suggested that mediation would be the best way forward to resolve the impasse.
However, Jammeh appeared on state television and declared that he will stay in office "to ensure the rule of law is upheld" until the Supreme Court makes a decision on his appeal, which is not expected until at least May 2017.
He slammed the stances of the United Nations, the African Union, and ECOWAS as "foreign interference" in The Gambia's affairs.
Jammeh filed a new request for an injunction to try to prevent Chief Justice Fagbenle from swearing in Barrow as president. However, Fagbenle said he would not consider the new case, saying "Given that the injunction affects me in my capacity as the chief justice, I will recuse myself from hearing it."
A lawyer for Jammeh's party conceded that obtaining an injunction to prevent Barrow from being sworn in was not possible at this stage.
Media crackdown and state of emergency
On 1 and 2 January 2017, three private radio stations, Taranga FM, Hilltop Radio, and Afri Radio, were shut down under orders from the
National Intelligence Agency.
On 3 January, it was reported that Alieu Momar Njai, the head of the electoral commission, had left the country or gone into hiding due to concerns about his safety.
In a New Year message, Chief of Defence Staff Ousman Bargie affirmed that Jammeh had "the unflinching loyalty and support of
The Gambia Armed Forces".
On 17 January, a day before the end of his presidential mandate, Jammeh announced a 90-day
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
. In a televised declaration, Jammeh justified the move by citing "the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference" during and preceding the December 2016 vote. Opposition parties accused Jammeh of using the measure to retain the presidency and feared that it could be used to void the election result.
The National Assembly approved the state of emergency along with a resolution denouncing foreign interference and an extension of its own term, due to end in April, by three months (to 11 July 2017). It then approved an extension of Jammeh's term for three months.
Inauguration of Adama Barrow and ECOWAS intervention
Following the announcement of the state of emergency,
Senegalese troops were deployed to the Gambian border on 18 January as the spearhead of the ECOWAS military response. These were supported by aircraft and personnel from the
Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established four years after the nation became independent. As at 2021, the air force is one of the largest in A ...
, together with a ship from the
Nigerian Navy
The Nigerian Navy (NN) is the Navy, naval branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigerian armed forces. With more than 70 warships, it is categorised as the fourth strongest navy in Africa (after South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco). It is co ...
. The same day, Gambian Army Chief
Ousman Badjie reportedly said that his forces would not fight in the event of foreign intervention against Jammeh.
Vice President
Isatou Njie-Saidy resigned on 18 January. By that point, eight cabinet members had resigned due to the crisis.
The opposition vowed to go ahead with the inauguration at Banjul Mini-Stadium, but this was later cancelled, with Barrow's spokesman
Halifa Sallah stating that he would be sworn in at an undisclosed location. It was revealed that he would be sworn in at the Gambia's embassy in
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
.
President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz met with Jammeh in an unsuccessful attempt to persuade him to leave office. On 19 January, ECOWAS gave Jammeh a deadline that ended at midnight to step down. Troops from Senegal, Nigeria and other neighboring countries gathered at Gambia's border with Senegal, waiting for an ECOWAS order to enter Gambia. Planes of the
Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established four years after the nation became independent. As at 2021, the air force is one of the largest in A ...
were seen flying over the Gambia.
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
became the first country to cease recognition of Jammeh on 19 January.
On 19 January 2017, Senegalese forces
crossed the border and invaded the Gambia.
Adama Barrow was sworn in as
President of The Gambia at a ceremony in an embassy of The Gambia in
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
,
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
, on 19 January 2017.
Hours later,
Senegalese Armed Forces entered The Gambia to enforce Barrow's presidency.
The United Nations Security Council approved a
resolution backing Barrow while calling on Jammeh to step down. It backed ECOWAS' efforts to ensure the results of the 2016 presidential election are respected, but endorsed "political means first", without expressing support for military action. Senegal later halted its offensive in order to mediate the crisis one final time, with the invasion to proceed at noon on 20 January if Jammeh still refused to relinquish power. That night, Jammeh sacked the remainder of his cabinet, according to reports from the
Gambia Radio & Television Service, and announced he would replace it with new members.
Jammeh, however, refused to step down even after the noon deadline passed, and while it was subsequently extended to 16:00 GMT, he again refused to resign. Mauritania's President Mohamed Abdul Aziz,
President of Guinea Alpha Condé and United Nations' regional chief
Mohammed Ibn Chambas tried to persuade him to step down. Gambia's army chief Lieutenant-General
Ousman Badjie pledged his allegiance to Barrow and stated that the Gambian Army would not fight ECOWAS. Barrow and a Senegalese official later stated that Jammeh had agreed to step down and would leave the country. Mauritania's President Aziz later announced that a deal had been reached for him to step down and leave the country.
During the early hours on 21 January, Jammeh announced on state television that he was stepping down from the post of president, and he left the country later the same day. The National Assembly revoked the state of emergency imposed by Jammeh on 24 January.
Following, 4,000 ECOWAS troops remained in the Gambia to maintain order in preparation for Barrow to return and consolidate his presidency. Five days later, Barrow returned to the Gambia while requesting the ECOWAS troops (now numbering about 2,500) to stay for at least six months to help him firmly establish order.
See also
*
1981 Gambian coup d'état attempt
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambian constitutional crisis, 2016-2017
December 2016 in Africa
January 2017 in Africa
2016 in the Gambia
2017 in the Gambia