Nigeria’s
Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, says his country will do everything
possible to help The Gambia have a peaceful resolution to its political crisis.
Mr.
Onyeama stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
The
minister expressed optimism that the Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh, would
listen to the voice of his people to resolve the political impasse in his
country.
The
Gambian leader had accused the West African regional body, ECOWAS, of declaring
war against his country, when he was asked to step down for a
democratically-elected president.
Mr.
Jammeh spoke in reaction to a statement by the ECOWAS Commission President that
the regional body had put forces on alert, should the Gambian leader refuse to
voluntarily quit after losing presidential elections.
Mr.
Jammeh lost the December 1, 2016 election to rival Adama Barrow. He initially
accepted the result and congratulated Mr. Barrow, but later recanted saying he
would not step down.
The
Gambian leader, who has been in power for 22 years, also promised to defend
Gambia against any outside aggression, in a New Year speech broadcast on state
TV.
Mr.
Onyeama expressed belief that in spite of the Gambian leader’s stance, Mr.
Jammeh would honour the call of the ECOWAS leaders to bow out of office, at the
end of his mandate on January 19.
“We
will like to believe that he will listen to the voice of his peers in the sub
region ECOWAS.
“And
that he will also listen to the voice of his people, but above all he will
follow the democratic path. So, we will do everything possible to bring that
about.
“Essentially,
we want a peaceful resolution to the issue, you know we have experienced
conflict in our country and we know how far back in development conflict can
take a country to.
“So
we will do everything possible to help Gambia have a peaceful resolution to
this political crisis,” the minister said.
President
Muhammadu Buhari, who is heading a mediation committee on the Gambia’s
political impasse, had led other West African leaders to meet with Messrs.
Jammeh and Barrow on the issue.
Other
leaders in the ECOWAS delegation were Presidents Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of
Liberia, Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone, and John Mahama of Ghana.
The
leaders appealed to Mr. Jammeh to leave office, and also reportedly sought a
‘honourable exit’ for him.
The
exit would ensure that he is not tried for various human rights crimes he is
alleged to have committed while in office.
However,
in spite of the visit, Mr. Jammeh remained defiant.
Marcel
de Souza, ECOWAS Commission President, said last week that the body had put
standby forces on alert. Most of the forces would be Senegalese if they be
required, he said
In
his speech on New Year Day, Mr. Jammeh decried the resolution of ECOWAS on the
current situation to implement the results of December 1, 2016 presidential
election by whatever means possible.
“It
is in effect a declaration of war and an insult to our constitution.
“Let
me make it very clear that we are ready to defend this country against any
aggression,” he said.
Source:
allAfrica.com
