![\"_92912380_composite\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/92912380_composite.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe head of Gambia’s army has given his full backing to the country’s president, Yahya Jammeh, amid a deepening political crisis.<\/p>\n
Mr Jammeh suffered a surprise electoral defeat last month to Adama Barrow.<\/p>\n
He initially accepted the result but changed his mind days later, citing electoral “abnormalities”.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
President Jammeh has said any such intervention would constitute an act of war.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
The tiny West African state has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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%.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
![\"_93232411_gambiatopelectoralofficial\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/93232411_gambiatopelectoralofficial-1.jpg\")
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However, Mr Jammeh declared that he would no longer respect the result and has launched a court action to annul the result.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The head of Gambia’s army has given his full backing to the country’s president, Yahya Jammeh, amid a deepening political crisis. 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[2572,2437],"yoast_head":"\n