Mr Jammeh suffered a surprise electoral defeat last month to Adama Barrow.

He initially accepted the result but changed his mind days later, citing electoral “abnormalities”.

In a letter to the pro-government newspaper, Gen Ousman Badjie pledged the “unflinching loyalty and support of the Gambia Armed Forces” to Mr Jammeh.

Gen Badjie’s intervention follows the threat of military action by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) if Mr Jammeh refuses to leave office on 19 January.

President Jammeh has said any such intervention would constitute an act of war.

Mr Barrow’s team had previously claimed the support of Gen Badjie. The army’s support is seen as critical in building a transition after Mr Jammeh’s 22 years in power.

The tiny West African state has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.

The dispute over the election results has raised tensions in the region, with both neighbouring countries and international powers urging Mr Jammeh to step down.

Mr Barrow won 43.3% of the vote on 1 December, beating President Jammeh’s 39.6%. A third-party candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 17.1%.

Those figures were revised from earlier totals, after the electoral commission discovered a tallying error affecting all candidates. The revised results did not alter the outcome of the election.

However, Mr Jammeh declared that he would no longer respect the result and has launched a court action to annul the result.

His security forces have seized control of the commission’s headquarters in the capital, Banjul, and the head of the election commission has fled the country over fears for his security.

Three private radio stations were also taken off air, in an apparent media crackdown. One has since resumed broadcasting music and advertisements only, with no on-air presenters or DJs.

Despite the threat of military intervention and President Jammeh’s protests, Mr Barrow’s team said they plan to declare him as president on 18 December.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Barrow said he would not prosecute the former president after a transition, but focus instead on reconciling the country’s opposing forces.

“If South Africa can reconcile [after the racial system of apartheid ended in 1994], I see no reason why Gambians cannot reconcile. We are not saying prosecution; we said truth and reconciliation,” he said.

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Source: BBC

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The West African regional bloc ECOWAS had called on him to honour his initial pledge to accept electoral defeat.

Mr Jammeh, who subsequently said the 1 December poll was flawed, added that he would defend his country if need be.

ECOWAS had said military intervention might be a possibility if diplomatic efforts failed.

Mr Jammeh has lodged a case before the Supreme Court to annul the vote after the electoral commission changed some results.

The commission insists the outcome was not affected by an initial error and property developer Adama Barrow defeated Mr Jammeh.

On Wednesday, the chief justice had to adjourn the Supreme Court hearing until 10 January, eight days before Mr Jammeh’s term in office officially ends, because there were not enough judges to hear the case.

Mr Jammeh seized power in the tiny country in 1994 and has been accused of human rights abuses, although he has held regular elections.

In a 45-minute speech at the African Bar Association on Tuesday night, Mr Jammeh defended his position, saying West African leaders had violated the ECOWAS principle of non-interference.

“Who are they to tell me to leave my country?” he said during his televised speech.

“I will not be intimidated by any power in this world. I want to make sure justice is done.

“I’m a man of peace, but I cannot also be a coward. I am a man of peace but that does not also mean that I will not defend myself and defend my country and defend my country courageously, patriotically and win.”

The BBC’s Umaru Fofana in the capital, Banjul, says it was his first public reaction to last week’s intervention by ECOWAS leaders, and he reiterated his call for fresh elections as the only way to resolve the impasse.

According to the electoral commission’s final count:
Mr Barrow won 222,708 votes (43.3%)
President Jammeh took 208,487 (39.6%)
A third-party candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 89,768 (17.1%)

Results were revised by the electoral commission on 5 December, when it emerged that the ballots for one area had been added incorrectly.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the opposition coalition that backed Mr Barrow has said Mr Jammeh will not face prosecution after leaving office.

“President-elect Barrow says he is going to treat outgoing President Yahya Jammeh like a former head of state and would consult him for advice,” Halifa Sallah told the AFP news agency.

Some analysts have suggested that reports that Mr Jammeh could face prosecution were behind his U-turn.

Human rights groups have accused President Jammeh of committing serious abuses against opponents during his 22-year rule.

The Gambia has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.

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Source: BBC

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