We are not going to involve ourselves militarily. This is a political dispute,” Gambian Chief of Defence Staff Ousman Badjie said

Senegalese troops backed by the other African forces are marching on towards Gambia to enter their territory as President Yahya Jammeh approaches a midnight deadline to stand down or face military action after refusing to leave at the end of his term.

He said that he don’t want his men to involve in any stupid fight as it is a political dispute. If they (Senegalese troops) come marching in, we would lift our hands in surrending gesture. Gambia is facing a critical political turmoil. The President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down even after the end of his term. He refused to accept the decision which came out in the favor of Adama Barrow. He even declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, citing foreign interference in a presidential election he lost to opponent Adama Barrow last month. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Yahya Jammeh first seized power in a coup in 1994

The Gambia's parliament has extended President Yahya Jammeh's term, which is due to end on Thursday following his defeat in elections, by 90 days.

It also approved his decision to declare a 90-day state of emergency.

Senegalese troops have reportedly moved towards The Gambian border ahead of possible intervention to force Mr Jammeh to hand power to President-elect Adama Barrow.

Thousands of UK and Dutch tourists are being evacuated from The Gambia.

The tiny West African state is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches.

Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories

What happens next?

Adama Barrow: From estate agent to president

Holidaymakers to be returned

The Gambia was plunged into crisis after Mr Jammeh rejected Mr Barrow's shock victory in the 1 December election.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption More than 25,000 Gambians have reportedly taken refuge in Senegal

In a televised announcement on Tuesday, Mr Jammeh said "any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement of violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace" were banned under the state of emergency.

He said security forces were instructed to "maintain absolute peace, law and order".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption British and Dutch tourists at Banjul Airport describe panic after they were told to leave The Gambia

Could there be conflict?

A Senegalese military source said they were "very seriously" preparing for military action in The Gambia, Reuters news agency reports.

Residents in two towns in southern Senegal told the agency they had seen columns of troops heading for the border.

Regional bloc Ecowas, the Economic Community of West African States, has mandated Senegal, which almost surrounds The Gambia, to spearhead military intervention, but only as a last resort and with the backing of the UN Security Council.

The US State Department urged Mr Jammeh to peacefully transfer power to Mr Barrow on Thursday.

"Doing so would allow him to leave office with his head held high and to protect The Gambian people from potential chaos," spokesman John Kirby said.

"Failure to do so will put his legacy, and more importantly The Gambia, in peril," he added.

The Gambia's entire armed forces is made up of only about 2,500 troops, making it difficult to see how they can defeat a regional force if it moves in, says BBC Africa Monitoring security correspondent Tomi Oladipo.

Nigeria's air force was contributing 200 "supporting" troops for the force, navy spokesman Capt Dahun Jahun told the Associated Press.

A Nigerian military source told our correspondent that a Nigerian warship was sailing towards The Gambia as a show of force.

However, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's foreign affairs aide, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, denied it was a war ship, saying a vessel had been sent to evacuate Nigerians if need be.

Where is Mr Barrow?

Mr Barrow, a property developer, has been in Senegal since Saturday. His aides said he would return to The Gambia for his inauguration on Thursday.

In his only comment since the state of emergency was declared, he tweeted: "We made history on the first day of December. Our future starts tomorrow."

Image copyright AFP Image caption Mr Barrow won the election by four percentage points

Mr Jammeh's declaration of a state of emergency was seen as an attempt to block the ceremony, scheduled to take place at a stadium in Bakau town, west of the capital Banjul, from going ahead.

Mr Barrow could, technically, also be sworn in at The Gambian embassy in Senegal. However, there are currently no visible preparations under way there.

Could there be a refugee crisis?

At least 26,000 Gambians, mostly women and children, had crossed into Senegal by Monday evening amid fears that violence could erupt, the UN refugee agency said, citing Senegalese government figures.

"The flow has increased sharply since then," regional spokeswoman Helene Caux was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Travel firm Thomas Cook said it would fly back to the UK, over the next 48 hours, 985 customers from package holidays after the Foreign Office advised "against all but essential travel to The Gambia due to ongoing political uncertainty and potential military intervention following the presidential elections".

Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption The Gambia is known to many outside the country as an ideal beach holiday location

About 1,600 Dutch citizens are also being flown home after similar advice from their government.

Tourism has become the fastest-growing sector of The Gambia's economy, and the country, which has a population of about two million, was marketed to holidaymakers as "the smiling coast of West Africa".

But many of its citizens are poor and complain of political repression. Some, including the goalkeeper of the national women's football team, have drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe in the hope of a better life.

Why is Mr Jammeh refusing to leave office?

He has ruled The Gambia since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994.

The Gambia regularly held elections, which he won until his shock defeat in the latest poll.

Mr Jammeh has said there were irregularities in the election process, including the turning away of some of his supporters from polling stations, and errors made by the electoral commission.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The rise and fall of Yahya Jammeh

The commission accepted that some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said Mr Barrow had still won.

Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held.

Retaining power would also ensure he was not prosecuted in The Gambia for alleged abuses committed during his rule. </s> The tiny West African nation of Gambia is on the verge of a military intervention as its leader of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh, refuses to relinquish power to president-elect Adama Barrow.

Tens of thousands of residents have fled, as troops from Nigeria and Senegal prepare to invade the country and use force to install Mr Barrow as the rightful president on January 19.

Mr Jammeh initially accepted the December 1 election result, but a week later, he reversed his decision, claiming that voter fraud had cost him the election. He has since petitioned Gambia's Supreme Court for a re-run of the polls, in what critics have said is simply an attempt to cling to power. On Wednesday Gambia's parliament voted to extend his term by 90 days.

Delegations led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have tried to convince Mr Jammeh to step aside, to little result. </s> Gambia's defeated leader Yahya Jammeh will step down and leave the country, Mauritania's president said early Saturday, while Gambia's new president declared that "the rule of fear" in the tiny West African nation had ended.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz spoke with reporters at the airport shortly before boarding his flight home, calling the news a victory for Gambia. He had been part of last-ditch talks to try to persuade Jammeh to cede power to Adama Barrow, who won election last month, while a regional force was poised to move in if negotiations failed.

A State House official close to the situation said Jammeh would leave within three days, possibly on Saturday with Guinean President Alpha Conde, who was spending the night in Gambia's capital, Banjul. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak about the situation to press.

Jammeh has refused to accept his loss to Barrow, who was inaugurated Thursday at Gambia's embassy in neighboring Senegal because of concerns for his safety. It was not clear when Barrow would return to Gambia.

Jammeh, who first seized power in a 1994 coup, has been holed up in his official residence in Banjul, and was becoming increasingly isolated as his security forces abandoned him and he dissolved his Cabinet.

Defense forces chief Ousmane Badjie told The Associated Press that Gambia's security services now support Barrow and would not oppose the regional force that was ready to move against Jammeh if he refused to step down.

"You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically," Badjie said. "We don't see any reason to fight."

The force, including tanks, rolled into Gambia without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen Friday at the border town of Karang.

The force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrow's inauguration and a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to support the regional efforts.

Fearing violence, about 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, according to the Senegalese government and the U.N. refugee agency.

Jammeh earlier had agreed to step down but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said Friday.

Those demands were not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added. The Mauritanian and Guinean leaders then held hours of talks with Jammeh to work out a deal.

Some of Gambia's diplomatic missions began switching their allegiance, while some African nations announced they no longer recognized Jammeh.

"We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow," said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an email.

In his inaugural speech, Barrow urged Jammeh to step aside and called for Gambia's armed forces to stay in their barracks.

Banjul was peaceful. Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to fight alongside the regional forces.

"I think the Gambian military would know it's outnumbered," said Maggie Dwyer, an expert on West African armed forces at the University of Edinburgh. "Gambia's military has very little combat experience. This would be a very difficult situation for them."

She estimated it had 2,400 troops at most, plus fewer than 1,000 paramilitary forces.

"My guess is a very small number would actually put their life on the line for Jammeh," though some could stand by him to get the same deal he might receive to avoid prosecution, Dwyer said.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed, with one telling visitors, "Welcome to the smiling coast."

Late Friday, Barrow addressed members of Gambia's diaspora and urged them to return home and rebuild their lives. "I wish to congratulate all of you and welcome you to the new Gambia," he said. </s> (DAKAR, Senegal) — A military commander with West Africa’s regional bloc says its forces will “take action” at midnight unless a solution is found to Gambia’s political crisis before then.

Speaking on Senegalese radio station RFM, Seydou Maiga Mboro declared that “all the troops are already in place” awaiting the deadline for President Yahya Jammeh to step down.

Witnesses in Senegal have reported seeing troops making their way toward Gambia’s borders.

Jammeh has refused to cede power after 22 years at the helm despite losing the Dec. 1 election to Adama Barrow.

The president-elect has vowed to go ahead with his inauguration anyway on Thursday, and ECOWAS, the regional bloc, has vowed to use military force if necessary to remove him. </s> A last minute attempt to convince Yahya Jammeh to give up his role as Gambian president before Wednesday’s midnight deadline failed, according to sources in the country’s capital.

Mauretanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz allegedly made a last-ditch effort late Wednesday night to persuade Jammeh to stand down after more than two decades in power, but was not able to convince him.

Troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana remained in position in neighbouring Senegal as the deadline passed.

Meanwhile 26,000 Gambians crossed the border into Senegal between the start of the year and Monday, with many continuing to flee the impending conflict in recent days, according to UNHCR spokeswoman Helene Caux in Dakar.

Eyewitnesses reported heavily armed soldiers arriving at the Senegalese border town of Karang late Wednesday, while the Nigerian Air Force deployed fighter jets and troops to Senegal ahead of a likely military intervention in Gambia, where the post-election political crisis was escalating.

Regional bloc ECOWAS pledged to send troops to ensure a peaceful transition of power after it failed in repeated attempts to convince Jammeh to cede power.

After ruling Gambia for 22 years, Jammeh has refused to accept the result of a December 1 election, which saw him lose power to real estate mogul Adama Barrow.

Halifa Sallah, a spokesman for the president-elect, said if Jammeh refused to step down by midnight, Thursday’s inauguration would take place at the Gambian embassy in Dakar due to the military intervention in Gambia.

The Nigerian Air Force said in a statement its deployment was in keeping with the West African bloc’s pledge to enforce the election mandate.

Nigeria moved 200 troops, fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters and other air assets to the Senegalese capital Dakar, and planned to move them from there into Gambia.

“The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in Gambia,” the statement read.

Barrow fled Gambia on Saturday to Dakar amid fears of violence, but has insisted he would be inaugurated as scheduled on Thursday.

The president, who refuses to leave office, on Tuesday placed his army on highest alert and chief of defence staff, Ousman Badjie, repeatedly pledged his loyalty to the autocrat.

Experts, however, don’t believe Jammeh will be able to hold up a military battle for long.

The country of 1.9 million people has about 1,000 soldiers, little capacity to fight a well-trained army, for example that of Senegal, which has almost 20,000 troops. </s> DAKAR, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Gambian President Adama Barrow, who was inaugurated in neighbouring Senegal as mediators engineered an exit deal for predecessor Yahya Jammeh, is to return to Gambia on Thursday, a senior aide said.

Barrow will face the task of restoring democratic governance in the sliver-like West African country after 22 years under Jammeh, whose government gained a reputation for the torture and killing of perceived opponents.

"He (Barrow) is leaving tomorrow and will arrive in Banjul at around 4 p.m. (1600 GMT)," aide Amie Bojang told Reuters.

Jammeh pitched Gambia into turmoil in December when he refused to accept his loss in an election to Barrow and demanded a fresh vote.

The former soldier finally stepped down on Saturday and went into exile in Equatorial Guinea under diplomatic pressure given teeth by several thousand West African troops who crossed into Gambia and were poised to enforce the election result.

Many Gambians are angry that Jammeh fled into what they assume to be a luxurious exile rather than face trial for alleged human rights abuses. (Reporting by Emma Farge; writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; editing by Mark Heinrich) </s> After a 22-year rule, Gambia’s longtime leader, Yahya Jammeh has finally agreed to step down from power after refusing to accept defeat during last year’s election. West African armies invaded the country to remove the recalcitrant leader who refused to concede an election defeat to President Adama Barrow.

In December’s election, Jammeh lost to his opponent, Barrow and initially conceded defeat. Nonetheless, he later had a change of mind and declared the vote unfair.

Apparently, there won’t be any need for violence now since he has taken a decision to step aside thus, bringing an end to a reign that began in 1994 when he seized power in a coup. His government was notorious for torturing and killing perceived opponents to ensure he has no rivalry.

In a statement made in the face of pressure, Jammeh succumbed to the pressure from concerned West African countries. “I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of leadership of this great nation,” he said on state television.

Without giving any details of what deal he might have struck, the disgraced president decided to step aside to avoid bloodshed “not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed,” he said.

Clad in a white robe and looking tired, Jammeh was due to leave Banjul early Saturday afternoon. In addition, he will be going into exile in Guinea Conakry. The official statement followed hours of talks between Yahya Jammeh and West African mediators.

Mr. Barrow who has been in neighbouring Senegal for days was inaugurated as president in the Gambian embassy there on Thursday.

Subsequently, troops from several West African nations, including Senegal were deployed in Gambia. Their mission was to drive former president Jammeh out of office if he did not agree to go </s> BANJUL/DAKAR (Reuters) - Gambia’s longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, who refused to accept his election defeat last month, has agreed to go into exile, a senior adviser to new President Adama Barrow said on Friday, but talks to finalise the deal were holding up his exit.

The swearing-in ceremony at the inauguration of Gambia President Adama Barrow at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal January 19, 2017, is seen in this handout photo provided by Office of the Senegal Presidency. REUTERS/Office of the Senegal Presidency/Handout

Regional armies, who entered Gambia late on Thursday, were meanwhile poised to remove him by force if required, as even his army chief, who had stood beside the former coup leader, recognised his rival Barrow as commander-in-chief.

West African leaders Alpha Conde of Guinea and Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz travelled to the capital Banjul on Friday to allow Jammeh one last chance to cede power peacefully.

“I can assure you that he has agreed to leave,” Mai Ahmad Fatty, Barrow’s special advisor, told Reuters in Senegal’s capital Dakar. He could not say where Jammeh would go into exile.

Barrow, who won the Dec. 1 poll by a slim margin, was sworn into office at Gambia’s embassy in Dakar on Thursday and immediately called for regional and international support.

West African militaries announced soon after that they had crossed into Gambia, which is almost completely surrounded by Senegal.

“The rule of fear has been banished from Gambia for good,” Barrow told a crowd gathered at a Dakar hotel on Friday. “To all of you forced by political circumstances to flee our country, you now have the liberty to return home.”

Gambia’s army chief General Ousman Badjie, who had been perhaps the last remaining pillar of support for Jammeh, said he would welcome, not fight, the regional force.

“We are going to welcome them with flowers and make them a cup of tea,” he told Reuters. “This is a political problem. It’s a misunderstanding. We are not going to fight Nigerian, Togolese or any military that comes.”

The military operation was halted late on Thursday to give mediation a chance.

A midday deadline was extended on Friday as negotiations, which diplomats said were focusing on a deal that would grant Jammeh immunity from prosecution, continued.

FINAL ACT

One regional diplomat said the delegation was planning to spend the night in Banjul and Jammeh was looking for “extremely solid guarantees” before leaving.

“There is a real possibility this could work. I don’t think he is going the (Saddam) Hussein route,” he said, referring to the Iraqi leader who was arrested in 2003 following an invasion, then tried and hanged.

Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, initially conceded defeat to Barrow before back-tracking, saying the vote was flawed and demanding a new ballot.

During his 22-years in power, Jammeh, who once vowed to rule Gambia “for a billion years”, has been accused by rights groups of torturing and killing perceived opponents. And some Gambians were angered by the prospect of granting him immunity.

“I don’t want that man to escape punishment from us,” said Lamin Darboe, 35, a Gambian shopkeeper who was present at Barrow’s speech in Dakar on Friday. “Wherever he moves to we’ll follow him there and grab him.”

Late on Thursday, Jammeh dissolved the government - half of whose members had already resigned - and pledged to name a new one.

His estate, located almost on the border with Gambia’s sole neighbour Senegal, was heavily fortified on Friday, witnesses said.

ECOWAS says its intervention, dubbed Operation Restore Democracy, involves 7,000 troops backed by tanks and warplanes. Its forces entered Gambia from the southeast, southwest and north.

Reuters witnesses saw a fresh convoy of more than a dozen trucks loaded with heavily armed Senegalese soldiers arrive at the border near the Senegalese town of Karang on Friday afternoon.

The size of Gambia’s army is unclear, but estimates range from 800 up to 2,500 soldiers.

Slideshow (13 Images)

The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said about 45,000 people, mainly children, have fled to Senegal since Jan. 1 amid growing fears of unrest.

Thousands of tourists, who’d flocked to the popular beach holiday destination for a break from the harsh European winter, also left this week.

(This story has been refiled to add Dakar to dateline)
Senegalese forces enter the Gambia as a military operation to end Yahya Jammeh's 22-year rule begins following the inauguration of Adama Barrow.