Hundreds of tourists evacuated from The Gambia

Thomas Cook is evacuating nearly 1,000 UK customers home from The Gambia following a change in Foreign Office (FCO) travel advice.

A 90-day state of emergency has been declared in the country after its president of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh, has refused to hand over power after losing an election last year.

Senegalese troops are poised to enter the country if no political solution is reached by midnight, an official said. </s> 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 in the tiny West African state.

The BBC reports that regional leaders have threatened to use military force to oust Mr Jammeh if he refuses to hand power to President-elect Adama Barrow on Thursday.

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

The country is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches. </s> Thousands of UK holidaymakers are set to be flown home from The Gambia due to growing political unrest.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is warning against "all non-essential travel" to the west African nation due to potential military intervention following presidential elections on December 1.

There are fears the main international airport could be shut at short notice and holiday company Thomas Cook will lay on additional flights from the capital Banjul today to bring 985 package trip customers home.

The holiday firm said a flight scheduled from Manchester will leave the UK without passengers and bring the first group of tourists home. A further four flights have been arranged from Banjul back to the UK later - two flying to Manchester and two to Gatwick.

An additional 2,500 "flight-only" customers will then be contacted and offered the earliest possible flights back to the UK.

The action comes after Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

Mr Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia with an iron fist for 22 years, initially acknowledged Mr Barrow as the winner but later said the ballot count was flawed and lodged a complaint with the country's supreme court.

State television said the state of emergency would prevent a power vacuum while the court rules on Mr Jammeh's petition challenging the election result.

Regional leaders have threatened to intervene with military force if Mr Jammeh does not step down by a deadline later this week.

The Association of British Travel Agents estimates there are around 2,000 people on holiday with its members in The Gambia and more will have travelled there independently.

British tourists on package holidays in the country were told to contact their tour operator to arrange return flights and independent travellers should contact their airlines.

An FCO spokesman said: "The potential for military intervention and civil disturbance is high and could result in Banjul International Airport being closed at short notice." </s> Thousands of UK holidaymakers are set to be flown home from The Gambia due to growing political unrest.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is warning against "all non-essential travel" to the west African nation due to potential military intervention following presidential elections on December 1.

There are fears the main international airport could be shut at short notice and holiday company Thomas Cook will lay on additional flights from the capital Banjul today to bring 985 package trip customers home.

The holiday firm said a flight scheduled from Manchester will leave the UK without passengers and bring the first group of tourists home. A further four flights have been arranged from Banjul back to the UK later - two flying to Manchester and two to Gatwick.

An additional 2,500 "flight-only" customers will then be contacted and offered the earliest possible flights back to the UK.

The action comes after Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won last month's election.

Mr Jammeh, who has ruled The Gambia with an iron fist for 22 years, initially acknowledged Mr Barrow as the winner but later said the ballot count was flawed and lodged a complaint with the country's supreme court.

State television said the state of emergency would prevent a power vacuum while the court rules on Mr Jammeh's petition challenging the election result.

Regional leaders have threatened to intervene with military force if Mr Jammeh does not step down by a deadline later this week.

The Association of British Travel Agents estimates there are around 2,000 people on holiday with its members in The Gambia and more will have travelled there independently.

British tourists on package holidays in the country were told to contact their tour operator to arrange return flights and independent travellers should contact their airlines.

An FCO spokesman said: "The potential for military intervention and civil disturbance is high and could result in Banjul International Airport being closed at short notice."

* Have you been affected? Let us know. </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> Gambia's Jammeh can stay in office for three months -national assembly

BANJUL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Gambia's National Assembly has passed a resolution to allow President Yahya Jammeh, who lost an election in December, to stay in office for three months from Wednesday when he was due to leave power.

The decision announced on state television will raise tension with leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS who have threatened sanctions or military force to make Jammeh hand over to opposition leader Adama Barrow who won the election.

Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, saying it it was to prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court rules on his petition challenging the election result. The National Assembly resolution almost certainly gives the government authority to prevent Adama's inauguration.

Barrow is in Senegal and could, in theory, be sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in that country, which is technically on Gambian soil.

Gambia is one of Africa's smallest countries and has had just two rulers since independence in 1965. Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 and his government has gained a reputation among ordinary Gambians and human rights activists for torturing and killing opponents.

Few people expected him to lose the election and the result was greeted with joy by many in the country and by democracy advocates across the continent, particularly when Jammeh initially said he would accept the result and step down.

Jammeh's decision to reverse that position has created political turmoil. At least five ministers have resigned from his government, hundreds of people have fled to neighbouring Senegal and others in the country say they fear violence.

British tour operator Thomas Cook started evacuating nearly 1,000 holidaymakers on Wednesday. It said on its website it was laying on extra flights in the next 48 hours to remove 985 package tour customers.

It was also trying to contact a further 2,500 'flight only' tourists in Gambia to arrange for their departure on the earliest available flight, it said in a statement.

Gambia's economy relies on one main crop, peanuts, and tourism. Its beaches are popular with European holidaymakers seeking a winter break. (Reporting by Ed Cropley; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Dominic Evans) </s> A state of emergency has been declared in The Gambia two days before the presidential inauguration.

President Jammeh said the 90-day state of emergency was called as a result of "the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference" in the December election.

After his surprise defeat to Adama Barrow, President Jammeh refused to accept the election result and step down. The country is on lockdown after six cabinet ministers handed in their resignation and Barrow fled to Senegal. Despite mounting pressure from other West African nations and the threat of military intervention, Jammeh said he would not step down.

The Gambia is a popular winter holiday destination for Britons and other Europeans. A spokesperson for Thomas Cooke said: "We currently have 985 UK package customers on holiday there. We maintain reserve aircraft and crew so we have the flexibility to respond swiftly for our customers should we need to."

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "President Jammeh needs to respect the will of the Gambian people and step aside to allow the inauguration to take place on 19 January 2017."

She urged British travellers in the region to remain vigilant: "Tensions may increase in the build up to the inauguration on 19 January. This may include the short notice closure of Banjul International Airport." </s> (CNN) A midnight deadline has passed in the Gambia, leaving the African country in flux with two presidents and West African troops massed on the border.

Outgoing President Yahya Jammeh has refused to step down since losing the December election to rival Adama Barrow, who was due to take power on Thursday

Troops from several West African countries were ready to enter Gambia if Jammeh didn't step aside by midnight, Colonel Seydou Maiga Moro with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) told Senegal's state media.

"All the troops are already on site," Moro said. "If no solution has been reached by midnight, we will take action."

Hours after the deadline passed, it was unclear whether they'd made good on the pledge.

Hundreds of tourists were pouring out of the Gambia on Wednesday as the risk of violence grew.

In a statement on its website, British tour operator Thomas Cook said it would be flying home 985 vacationers from the country within 48 hours, as well as potentially another 2,500 people who only booked flights through the company.

The UK Foreign Office also updated its advice to travelers, cautioning against all but essential travel to the Gambia.

"The potential for military intervention and civil disturbance is high and could result in Banjul International Airport being closed on short notice," the site said.

Senegal, Ghana, Togo and Mali are among the countries who have contributed to the military effort, while the Nigerian Air Force said in a statement 200 Air Force troops would join ECOWAS forces.

"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 said.

After his loss on December 1, Jammeh originally conceded defeat and said he would step down -- but in just over a week, he changed his mind.

Since then, attempts by African leaders and the United States to convince Jammeh to leave have been unsuccessful.

On Tuesday, the outgoing president declared a state of emergency in the country, claiming "a situation exists which, if it is allowed to continue, may lead to a state of public emergency."

Speaking in a televised statement, Jammeh also claimed he had filed an application with Gambia's Supreme Court to prevent Barrow being sworn in.

Barrow is currently waiting in neighboring Senegal for the transition of power.

The President-elect's office insisted in a statement last week that the election result stands. </s> BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday after refusing to hand power to opposition leader Adama Barrow, who won an election last month.

State television said the emergency would prevent a power vacuum while the supreme court rules on Jammeh's petition challenging the election result.

That suggests Jammeh will stay in power beyond Thursday, when Barrow was due to be sworn in as president.

Regional leaders have threatened to intervene militarily if Jammeh does not step down and on Tuesday a senior Nigerian army source said Nigeria and other West African states were preparing a military force.

"I...hereby declare a state of public emergency throughout the Islamic Republic of Gambia," Jammeh's declaration said.

The state of emergency banned "acts of disobedience" and "acts intended to disturb public order".

Jammeh took power in a coup in 1994 as only the second president since Gambia's independence in 1965 and his government gained a reputation for torturing and killing perceived opponents, rights groups say. In 2015, he declared that the country was an Islamic Republic.

Pro-democracy activists across Africa welcomed his defeat and his refusal to step down has provoked an internal crisis as well as a test of mettle for regional leaders.

Gambia's top judge on Monday declined to rule on Jammeh's election petition and in a political blow to the president, the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, trade and the environment have resigned, according to ministry sources.

The Nigerian source said that defense chiefs of staff of West African countries met on Monday to discuss strategies to remove Jammeh.

"Some West African countries will be contributing troops, including Nigeria, for the operation," said the source, adding that the United Nations and African Union had offered support to regional body ECOWAS for the plan.

State television said on Monday Finance Minister Abdou Kolley was being replaced by Benjamin Roberts, the Minister of Tourism. Finance ministry sources said on Tuesday Roberts had also resigned.

Ministry sources said other government figures, including Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, had left the government and the country. The mayor of the capital Banjul has also resigned, according to sources at the city council.

Hundreds of Gambians have fled into Senegal, Gambia's only neighbor, fearing for their safety because of the turmoil, and Senegalese authorities have increased security. Barrow is also in Senegal, his aides say.

"We are scared. There are soldiers with guns all the time," said Awa Sanneh, 25, from Birkama in Gambia, who was leaving with two children and 24 other family members.

One of the smallest countries in Africa, Gambia is reliant on tourism and one main crop, peanuts, to fuel its economy.
Thousands of British tourists are evacuated from the Gambia as West African states prepare to take military action to remove President Yahya Jammeh from power as his term ends.