As the political turmoil in Gambia deepens, troops from neighbour Senegal have entered The Gambia without any resistance from the country’s military, The Associated Press reports.
This comes as Gambia’s President-elect Adama Barrow was sworn in today, January 19, at the country’s embassy in Dakar, the capital of neighbouring Senegal.
This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our national flag will fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world. #Gambia pic.twitter.com/QRGZg1gzbs
— Adama Barrow (@adama_barrow) January 19, 2017
This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in one’s lifetime. #NewGambiapic.twitter.com/pyyvG7GZ8g
— Adama Barrow (@adama_barrow) January 19, 2017
Barrow, who has been in Senegal following heightened security concerns that have seen hundreds of thousands of Gambians cross the border over the past weeks, is waiting to be flown in after the operation to remove Yahya Jammeh is over.
Earlier, Gambia’s army chief Ousman Badjie said he would not order his men to fight other African troops if they entered their territory.
“We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute,” Chief of Defence Staff, Badjie said.
“I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men,” he added.
Senegal reportedly asked the United Nations for permission to embark on a full-scale invasion as Jammeh’s deadline expired midnight, while Nigeria also sent in an air force unit to support the operation.
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