State Of Emergency In Gambia?

Consequent to Gambia's incumbent Yahya Jammeh's refusal to step down despite intervention from Dignitaries and other West African Heads of States to respect the election result, accept defeat and hand over power to President elect  Adama Barrow, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) seems to be left with no choice but fulfil its promise to consider sending in military 'if persuasion did not work'. 

Armoured Battalions was seen on Thursday, January 19, 2017, entering the Gambian bother from Senegal. This came hours after Adama Barrow was sworn in as Gambia's President, witnessed by Foreign Diplomats in the Gambia's Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. 

After initial allegiance to Yahya Jammeh’s administration, “My job is security, to make sure this country is peaceful and is secure, that is my primary role and that is what I’m paid for. As we speak now, I’m paid by the government of the day, that is Yahya Jammeh’s government. He’s my commander-in-chief as we speak now. I have only one commander-in-chief as we speak.” Gambia's Chief of Defence staff Qusman Badjie retracted his stand recently when he reportedly stated that his Troop will not involve itself militarily, as it is a "political dispute."

As pressure mounted, the United States embassy in Gambia reportedly told citizens to leave the country as soon as possible. 

On its part, the United Nations security Council on Thursday, 19th January 2017 reinforced its commitment to Ecowas to “ensure, by political means first, respect of the will of the people.”