{"id":287120,"date":"2017-01-22T10:35:25","date_gmt":"2017-01-22T10:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=287120"},"modified":"2017-01-22T10:35:25","modified_gmt":"2017-01-22T10:35:25","slug":"jammeh-should-be-free-to-return-to-the-gambia-ecowas-un-au-declare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/01\/jammeh-should-be-free-to-return-to-the-gambia-ecowas-un-au-declare\/","title":{"rendered":"Jammeh should be free to return to The Gambia – ECOWAS, UN, AU declare"},"content":{"rendered":"
ECOWAS, the AU and the United Nations (UN) have committed to ensuring the former President of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, is able to return to his country following the political crisis that saw him leave on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The international bodies indicated they will be working with the government of The Gambia to ensure that it respects the rights of former President Jammeh, as provided for and guaranteed by the 1997 Gambian Constitution and other Laws of The Gambia.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”6bFekizfamU1iUUNgQ91LjfXnVqotSft”]Mr. Jammeh left the country in the wake of elections that ousted him after 22 years in power. He was defeated in December’s election by now-President of the state, Adama Barrow, but went on to challenge the results.<\/p>\n
But two days after President Barrow was sworn in, Mr Jammeh left on a plane reportedly bound for Guinea. This among other things is expected to calm tensions to enable the new President return to the country from Senegal to take charge.<\/p>\n
In a series of declarations, ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN, said they \u201cwill work with the Government of The Gambia to ensure that former President Jammeh is at liberty to return to The Gambia at any time of his choosing in accordance with international human rights law and his rights as a citizen of The Gambia and a former head of state.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three bodies also urged the government of The Gambia to take all the necessary measures to assure and ensure that there is no witch-hunt of former regime members and supporters former President Jammeh.<\/p>\n
“ECOWAS, the AU and the UN commit to working with the Government of The Gambia to prevent the seizure of assets and properties lawfully belonging to former President Jammeh or his family, and those of his Cabinet members, government officials and Party supporters, as guaranteed under the Constitution and other Laws of The Gambia,” the declarations also added.<\/p>\n