Leaders
meeting at a Franco-African summit in the Malian capital Bamako on Saturday set
January 19 as deadline to solve the Gambian political crisis, Radio France
Internationale quoted Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe as saying.
January 19
is the date when president-elect Adama Barrow has vowed to take power, despite
outgoing President Yahya Jammeh not accepting his defeat in the December 1
election.
Mr. Barrow
attended the summit bringing together French President Francois Hollande and
more than 30 African leaders, while Mr. Jammeh was absent.
“The
choice of Gambian voters in favour of Adama Barrow must be respected,” Mr.
Hollande said.
Mr. Barrow
arrived in Bamako with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who had met both
him and Mr. Jammeh in the Gambian capital Banjul on Friday.
A
statement from Mr. Barrow’s office said Mr. Jammeh’s meeting with Mr. Buhari
and other mediators from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
was “unproductive”.
Mr.
Barrow’s spokesman, Halifa Sallah, said ECOWAS would nevertheless continue its
mediation efforts.
Gambia has
been in a political deadlock since Mr. Barrow, a real estate mogul who was
little known before he announced his candidacy, defeated Mr. Jammeh in the
election.
Mr.
Jammeh, who has ruled the small West African nation for 22 years with an iron
fist, has filed a petition to challenge the election result at the Supreme
Court.
The talks
with ECOWAS came several hours after Gambia’s ruling party filed a motion with
the Supreme Court to prevent Mr. Barrow from being sworn into office on January
19.
The
African Union said Friday said it will cease to recognise Mr. Jammeh as
president after that date.
ECOWAS
earlier pledged to send troops to ensure a peaceful transition of power in
Gambia if Mr. Jammeh persists in his refusal to step down.
Meanwhile, Senegal will host president-elect Adama Barrow until his swearing-in
ceremony, the state-owned Senegalese news agency APS reported Sunday.
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