Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow met Saturday in Mali with world leaders trying to arrange a peaceful outcome of the West African country's leadership crisis.

Barrow was officially declared the winner of last month's election by a slim margin. Yahya Jammeh, who has been power in Gambia since a coup in 1994, originally accepted defeat but reversed himself and filed suit to challenge the results, citing voting irregularities.

The presidents of France and Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Francois Hollande, both called on Jammeh to step down when his current five-year term of office ends during the coming week.

Jammeh, however, has said he intends to remain in office until Gambia's Supreme Court rules on his legal challenge to results of the December 1 vote. Informed observers in Banjul estimate it could take the court months to rule.

Barrow, attending the annual France-Africa summit in Bamako, said he was continuing to plan for his inauguration on Thursday.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS has placed its military force on standby to take action if Jammeh does not step down as scheduled.

Hollande said in Mali that Gambia's elections were credible and transparent, so the results "must be respected."

Mali's Keita said the reception Barrow was given at the France-Africa summit was "de facto recognition" of his legitimacy as Gambia's head of state. "I dare to hope that proverbial African wisdom will inspire our brother Yahya" to step down Thursday, he added.

Under Jammeh, the Gambian government has been accused of numerous rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture and forced disappearances.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and other regional leaders traveled to Banjul on Friday to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down peacefully, but no deal was reached.

Speaking about the ECOWAS high-level mission to the Gambian capital, the head of the U.N.'s office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, told the Security Council on Friday that there should be "no doubt about the determination of ECOWAS to use all necessary means, including force, to have the will of the Gambian people upheld." </s> President Adama Barrow is set to return to The Gambia on Thursday after his predecessor Yahya Jammeh finally quit power under threat of a military intervention, west African political sources said.

A source close to the Senegalese presidency and a diplomatic source in The Gambia’s capital Banjul on Wednesday confirmed the announcement made on a Facebook page linked to the new president that Barrow is due to arrive on Thursday at 4:00 pm (1600 GMT). </s> Adama Barrow, the Gambian president-elect, has travelled to Mali's capital to meet leaders attending a summit jointly hosted by France in Mali, as uncertainty grows over Gambia's political crisis.

His visit to Bamako came after last-ditch attempts on Friday by a regional mediation team, led by Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, failed to persuade Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh to step down.

Jammeh had initially conceded defeat in a December 1 vote, but later reversed his position, lodging a legal case aimed at annulling the result and triggering new elections.

Barrow is scheduled to take office on January 19, but Jammeh has made clear he will not stand aside until the Supreme Court's decision. The ruling is unlikely to happen before May.

In a sign of Barrow's growing international clout, a French diplomatic source told AFP news agency that President Francois Hollande "intends to meet" Barrow, while the former estate agent was due to sit down with West African leaders to discuss his nation's future.

"Barrow's visit was a surprise, and nobody knows if he will really go back again to Gambia," Al Jazeera's Zeinebou Bent Erebih, reporting from the Africa-France summit in Bamako, said.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote and step down after 22 years in power.

ECOWAS has previously said it would stage a military intervention, led by neighbouring Senegal, if Jammeh failed to relinquish power - a move Jammeh has called a "declaration of war".

READ MORE: Exiled Gambians ponder return to troubled homeland

"The stakes are extremely high," said Bakary Darbo, former Gambian vice president, explaining that the "military muscle" built by Jammeh is likely to stand by the defiant leader.

"All indications point to a military intervention in the next few days or so," Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from Nigeria's capital, Abuja, said.

In coming days, the "focus will be on who will contribute troops now", he added.

"From all indications, [African leaders] could persuade the African Union (AU) and probably go to the United Nations to ensure that democracy and the rights of the people in Gambia are protected."

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said on Friday that ECOWAS would ask the Security Council to approve the deployment of troops to Gambia, if Jammeh refuses to cede power.

On Friday, the AU said it would cease to recognise Jammeh as Gambia's legitimate president and warned of "serious consequences" if his actions lead to political disorder and the "loss of innocent lives". </s> Jammeh refuses to leave, Barrow flies out of country

President-elect Adama Barrow flew out of The Gambia late Friday to meet west African leaders attending a summit in Bamako with hopes of ending the country’s political crisis, Nigeria’s foreign minister said.

“The ECOWAS team has decided to depart Banjul tonight in the company of president-elect Barrow headed for Bamako, Mali,” Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists following crisis talks with Barrow and President Yahya Jammeh, who is refusing to leave power.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election that delivered Barrow to victory and step down after 22 years in power.

A three-nation delegation led by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari landed in Banjul Friday for a second attempt at getting Jammeh to leave, five days before the Gambian strongman’s mandate expires.

Onyeama expressed the bloc’s “determination to find a peaceful solution that accords with the Constitution of the Gambia and also reflects the will of the Gambian people.”

This, he said, would be best served by Barrow meeting representatives from all ECOWAS member nations.

West African heads of state are gathered in Bamako for the Africa-France summit which resumes Saturday.

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Also, Like us on facebook </s> President-elect of Gambia Adama Barrow (L in blue) meets with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (R) Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (2-R) and outgoing Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama in Banjul, Gambia on 13 December 2017. Photo: EPA

BANJUL - West African leaders flew out of Banjul late on Friday with The Gambia's president-elect, Adama Barrow, en route to Mali for crisis talks with regional heavyweights in hopes of ending the nation's political impasse.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari led a three-nation delegation to Banjul earlier in the day, which his foreign minister admitted had not succeeded in getting longtime Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to step down.

Jammeh has made clear he will not stand aside until the country's Supreme Court decides on his legal challenge seeking to annul the results of last month's polls, which he initially conceded losing.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-nation bloc, has repeatedly called on Jammeh to respect the result of the vote that delivered Barrow to victory, and step down after 22 years in power.

"The ECOWAS team has decided to depart Banjul tonight in the company of President-elect Barrow headed for Bamako, Mali," Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists.

Buhari, Ghana's former president John Mahama and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have spent the last month attempting to cajole Jammeh into ceding the presidency.

Onyeama expressed west Africa's "determination to find a peaceful solution that accords with the constitution of The Gambia and also reflects the will of the Gambian people," and said this was best served by Barrow meeting representatives from all ECOWAS member nations.

West African heads of state are gathered in Bamako for the Africa-France summit, which resumes on Saturday.

The African Union (AU) said there would be "serious consequences" for Jammeh, without elaborating, if violence or disorder were to break out as a result of the deadlock.

And Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, said on Friday that ECOWAS would ask the security council to approve the deployment of troops to The Gambia if Jammeh refuses to cede power.

There are just five days left of Jammeh's five-year term, but he warned the international community on Tuesday that "undue external interference" was unnecessary.

The Supreme Court is unlikely to sit and hear his legal challenge before May, ratcheting up tensions with Barrow, whose inauguration is due on Thursday.

The prolonged political uncertainty and fear of unrest has pushed thousands of Gambians across the border into neighbouring Senegal and further afield to Guinea-Bissau.

Tibna Sambe Na Wana, the national coordinator for Guinea-Bissau's refugee commission, said more than 1,000 Gambians had crossed into the country, where they do not require a visa, in recent days.

"It is clear that the total number is far higher than 1,000 and rising daily," Na Wana said.

Women, children and the elderly made up the greatest numbers, the official said, with more than 500 passing one border post near the town of Jegue in three days.

"They say they are scared of a military escalation," Na Wana added.

In Senegal, the UN's refugee agency said "several thousand people" had crossed into the southern Casamance region from The Gambia, especially children.

Senegal and The Gambia have deep ethnic and linguistic ties, and most families have relatives living across the border.

"Most arrivals in Senegal are Gambians and Senegalese who have been working or living in The Gambia," said Liz Ahua, the UNHCR's representative for West Africa in Dakar, but added Africans from several other nations were also crossing.

A nation of fewer than two million people, The Gambia already accounts for the highest number of migrants per capita of any nationality crossing the Mediterranean on smugglers' boats to Italy.

The effects of the crisis were further scrutinised across the continent in Addis Ababa, where the AU declared it would no longer recognise President Jammeh as head of state on Thursday, 19 January, regardless of the Supreme Court case.

Citing "the inviolable nature of the outcome of the presidential elections held on 1 December 2016 in The Gambia," the AU called on Jammeh to respect the constitution and cede power to Barrow on that date.

Jammeh has said he wants to wait for the Supreme Court to sit and hear his case, but the Gambian Bar Association said Friday his term could not legally be extended except through a referendum altering the constitution.

The president has few allies and has faced almost universal condemnation for clinging to his post, though Nigerian MPs said on Thursday the country should consider offering him asylum. </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> File: The official inauguration of Adama Barrow as Gambian president takes place on Saturday. Photo: Seyllou / AFP

BANJUL - The Gambia will officially swear in Adama Barrow as president at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on Saturday.

Barrow first took his oath of office in a makeshift inauguration ceremony in Senegal last month.

His inauguration brings an end to 22 years of oppression under Yahya Jammeh, who was forced to go into exile after refusing to concede the election.

Barrow inherits an insolvent economy, with a more than 40 percent unemployment rate. </s> New Gambian President Adama Barrow is due to be formally inaugurated in the capital Banjul where celebrations will mark 52 years of the west African country’s independence.

Mr Barrow was sworn in last month at a ceremony at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal.

Long-time ruler Yahya Jammeh had refused to step down despite his electoral defeat.

Under pressure from regional powers, he went into exile in Equatorial Guinea.

Adama Barrow is only the third president in the history of The Gambia.

He has promised a new dawn for the country, which was ruled with an iron fist by Yahya Jammeh.

Mr Jammeh was voted out in December but he only agreed to step aside when regional powers sent in troops ready to remove him by force.

Many political prisoners have already been freed and The Gambia is set to rejoin international institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the Commonwealth.

BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says that thousands of people are expected to attend the ceremony at the main stadium in the capital Banjul. </s> BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Gambia's political crisis took center stage on Saturday at a summit in Mali, where leaders said they hope that Gambia's longtime leader will step down peacefully when the president-elect is to take office next week.

More than 30 African heads of state, and the French president, met in Bamako, Mali to discuss the fight against extremism, France's role on the continent and government challenges.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said much of the summit's focus was on the West African country of Gambia, where President Yahya Jammeh has said he will not give up power after 22 years, despite a vote that saw the opposition coalition's Adama Barrow win.

In this photo released by the Nigeria State House, Gambia President, Yahya Jammeh, left, speaks with Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari, upon arrival in Banjul Gambia, Friday Jan.13, 2017. Nigeria's president was leading a regional delegation to Gambia in a last-ditch attempt Friday to persuade its longtime leader to step down and allow his rival's inauguration next week, while fears grow that the impasse could turn violent. (Bayo Omoboriowo/Nigeria State House via AP)

Leaders from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, said no deal had been reached Friday after mediation efforts in Gambia. The bloc has said it would consider military action if Jammeh does not step down. Barrow, who was flown to Mali to meet with French President Francois Hollande and regional leaders, has said Jammeh could be considered a rebel leader after Jan. 19, when his inauguration will take place.

President Keita, who spoke at the summit's end, said ECOWAS, and much of Africa, hopes that "the torch will peacefully be passed on."

Hollande said Dec. 1 election results must be respected, pointing out that Gambia's president-elect was welcomed to the summit.

"Everything must be done so that on Jan. 18, or effectively by Jan. 19, he can take office," Hollande said.

Hollande said French troops would remain in Mali to help combat al-Qaida-linked extremists.

France has helped train more than 20,000 African soldiers a year since 2013, when it led an operation that pushed extremists from northern Mali strongholds. Hollande said it now aims to train more than 25,000 soldiers a year for three years. He also promised increased development project funds.
President-elect Adama Barrow travels to the Malian capital of Bamako to meet with world leaders after yesterday's failed attempts at persuading incumbent president Yahya Jammeh to step down at the end of his term.