Yahya Jammeh swimming in trouble waters as handover date draws near

President Yahya Jammeh

President Yahya Jammeh is no longer at ease as the handover date draws near.

Today, January 19th, 2017, a new government is expected to be sworn without him, but he remains defiant.

In what is clearly the biggest indication that the President of The Gambia, Yayha Jammeh, has lost control of his government, the country’s Vice president, Isatou Njie-Saidy, on Wednesday resigned.

She announced her resignation hours before official end of the tenure of Mr. Jammeh’s administration as the country’s political impasse gets worse over the refusal of Mr Jammeh to relinquish power to the President-elect Adama Barrow who was scheduled to be sworn in on Thursday.

The country’s minister of higher education, Aboubacar Senghore, who was appointed to the position last July, also resigned on Wednesday saying he cannot serve in the post beyond the tenure of the outgoing president.

“Given my strong religious and legal background, I feel it is now ethically and legally speaking time to step down as minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and Religious Affairs as the constitutional mandate of the current government expires today, Wednesday 18th January 2017,” he wrote in his resignation letter to Mr Jammeh.

The resignation of Mr. Senghore, who was the country’s former foreign affairs minister, brings the number of minister that have resigned from Mr Jammeh’s cabinet since the political logjam to eight.

Senegal, a neighbouring country to Gambia has given President Yahaya Jammeh till midnight to step down otherwise military action would be engaged to oust him. To make true the warning, Senegalese troops have been seen moving towards the Gambian border in what seams a show of might to further signal to Jammeh he would be ousted militarily if he refuses to step down.

“Our troops are on alert… The ultimatum takes effect at midnight,” when Jammeh’s mandate is due to expire, army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye said. “If a political solution fails, we will engage” in operations in The Gambia, he said, confirming that troops were heading to the border. Recall that the Gambian parliament has extended Jammeh’s stay in office for another 90 days, a move that has further added fuel to Jammeh’s clinching to the country’s presidential seat eventhough Wednesday is supposed to be his final day in office as the Gambian president.

However, Nigerian Government has equally sent in some air, naval and will also send ground troops to join forces with the Senegalese troops to ensure President-elect, Adama Barrow is installed as The Gambia’s President on Thursday. Also, The U.N has equally backed the West African nations in the bid to ensure either a peaceful handover in The Gambia or use military force to archieve same should

Jammeh insist on clinching to power. Jammeh who had called Barrow to concede defeat after losing in the December 1, 2016 election held in the country later made a volte face, refusing to accept the outcome of the election and has since voiced strongly that he would not allow the President-elect, Barrow installed as the country’s president unless a fresh election is conducted. He claimed many of the Gambian citizens were disenfranchised.

Jammeh has been the country’s president since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

Tourists leaving the country

Meanwhile, thousands of Gambians have fled the country while UK and Dutch tourists are being evacuated from the tiny West African state, which is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches.

Thomas Cook reps helping tourists to leave the country