The ECOWAS Commission, the African Union Commission and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, have called on the Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh to respect the verdict of the ballot and hand over to the President-elect, Adama Barrow.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Chairperson of the AU Commission and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to West Africa and the Sahel, said they are deeply concerned by Jammeh’s rejection of the election outcome.
They called on the government of The Gambia to ensure the safety of the president-elect and abide by its constitutional responsibilities and international obligations.
“It is fundamental that the verdict of the ballots should be respected, and that the security of the president -elect Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured,”they said in a statement on Saturday.
ECOWAS, the AU and the UN said they strongly support the stand of the Senegalese Government on the issue with regards to calling an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
They urged relevant Gambian stakeholders to contribute to a peaceful transition and orderly handing over of power from the outgoing administration to the President-elect within constitutional deadlines, in accordance with the Gambian electoral laws.
They also called on all Gambian stakeholders including the elected leadership, the armed forces, political parties and Civil Society Organisations to reject violence and peacefully uphold the will of the people as clearly expressed through the ballot box.
They admonished the Gambian Defence and Security forces to live up to their republican duties.
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