{"id":286475,"date":"2017-01-19T18:55:47","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T18:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=286475"},"modified":"2017-01-19T18:55:47","modified_gmt":"2017-01-19T18:55:47","slug":"senegal-troops-enter-the-gambia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/01\/senegal-troops-enter-the-gambia\/","title":{"rendered":"Senegal troops enter The Gambia"},"content":{"rendered":"
Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia to ensure Adama Barrow assumes power as the country’s new president, a Senegalese army spokesman has said.<\/p>\n
It comes shortly after Mr Barrow took the oath of office at The Gambia’s embassy in the capital of Senegal.<\/p>\n
He has been recognised internationally. But strongman Yahya Jammeh has refused to quit and is backed by parliament.<\/p>\n
West African leaders have threatened to remove Mr Jammeh by force. The UN has backed their support for Mr Barrow.<\/p>\n
The 15-member Security Council stressed on Thursday that this should be pursued “by political means first”.<\/p>\n
Senegalese army spokesman Col Abdou Ndiaye was quoted by news agencies as saying the country’s troops entered The Gambia on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Nigeria said earlier in the day that its “armed reconnaissance air force are over Gambia”, AFP reports.<\/p>\n
“They have the capacity to strike,” Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa told the news agency.<\/p>\n