Ghanaian troops in Gambia ‘senseless’ – Kwesi Pratt

Sending troops to Gambia to help oust President Yahya Jammeh would be “senseless”, veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt has said.

He dismissed any possibility of deploying Ghanaian troops into the Gambia, saying any military action could deepen the prevailing harsh economic conditions.

“It is not because we don’t have the men to do so, but we are not in a position to fund such an action. Considering our economic conditions, we can’t afford to fund that action,” the editor-in-chief of the Insight Newspaper said on Metro TV.

Gambian parliament Wednesday voted to extend President Jammeh’s term, which is due to end on Thursday following his defeat in elections.

The House also approved his decision to declare a 90-day state of emergency.

ECOWAS leaders have threatened a military intervention if he refuses to hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow on Thursday.

But, Mr Pratt is of the opinion that a diplomatic approach by the regional leaders would be more appropriate.

“I have always been against a military intervention because of the repercussions that are usually associated with that; I would advise we use diplomatic channels to address the situation,” he added.