The
ECOWAS Commission has said its coalition force in The Gambia would remain for
the next six months, as requested by President Adama Barrow.
Marcel
de Souza said this while briefing members of the diplomatic corps and partner
organisations on the political situation in The Gambia on Tuesday in Abuja.
Mr.
De Souza, however, said that retaining troops in that country would be decided
by the Chiefs of Army Staff.
“By
the end of the week, the forces will fall back.
“Barrow
would like us to have a sufficient force on ground for about six months; we
will see which troops will be withdrawn and which would be retained.”
He
said the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia was to secure peace contrary to reports
that there was a military force in the country after former President Yayah
Jammeh’s departure.
“We
needed to have a specific strategy and prevent a single shot being fired and
bloodshed.
“Orders
were given for forces to move to Banjul; it was a force to secure the
situation, the environment and the life of Barrow, not a military move.
“What
if there was an assassination attempt on his life, it will question the whole
process.
“We
are waiting for a report, by today or tomorrow we will be able to indicate that
Barrow will return,” he said.
The
commission’s president said that member countries handled the costs of maintaining
the troops.
He
also confirmed that the Gambian armed forces welcomed the ECOWAS coalition
force.
He
reiterated that Mr. Jammeh departed The Gambia for Equatorial Guinea on Friday
after final mediation efforts by presidents Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania
and Alpha Conde of Guinea.
He
also said that the requests made by Mr. Jammeh which were also contained in the
joint declaration by ECOWAS, AU and the UN were under review.
He
said the requests had yet to be validated by the authorities. (NAN)
