West African Troops Enter Gambia As Election Loser Clings To Power

No Evacuation for Ghanaians living in Gambia

Thousands of British holidaymakers airlifted home

U.N. Security Council has backed a resolution in support of the new leader


West African troops have crossed the border with Gambia in an effort to uphold the result of the country's presidential election by force.

The winner of the Dec. 1 vote, Adama Barrow, was officially sworn in as president at the country's embassy in neighboring Senegal earlier this afternoon. But Gambia's longtime leader, Yahya Jammeh, has refused to quit power despite mounting regional and international pressure.

Jammeh has an abysmal human rights record and has vowed to rule the country for "a billion years."

The battle for power between two men who both claim to be president of Gambia has plunged Africa's smallest country into uncertainty.

"A newly sworn in President Barrow appealed to neighboring countries for help," NPR's Eyder Peralta reported. "And now troops from Nigeria, Senegal and other countries have entered Gambia."

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council has backed a resolution in support of the new leader. The council voted unanimously to adopt the resolution, which "expresses its full support to the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) in its commitment to ensure, by political means first, the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia as expressed in the results of 1st December elections."


Thousands of UK holidaymakers are set to be flown home from The Gambia due to growing political unrest.
Ghana government has no plans to airlift the thousand of Ghanaians that live in the Gambia