Pres. Jammeh sacks Gambia’s ambassador to Senegal

By Alpha Kamara

DAKAR (AA) - Gambia’s embattled President Yahya Jammeh has fired the country’s Ambassador to Senegal after the Ambassador urged him to accept defeat and hand over power.

Pa Momodou Njie, a renowned Muslim like Jammeh, is the third ambassador to be recalled and amongst a dozen envoys after they called on the defeated president to allow a peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Adama Barrow.

President Yahya Jammeh last month recalled the country’s envoy to the UN Momodou Tangara and his Ambassador to the U.S. Sheikh Omar Faye for committing similar crimes.

President Jammeh initially accepted defeat and made a “u turn” a week later claiming the polls were rigged even though International Observers termed the polls as credible and transparent.

Efforts by West African leaders to persuade him to exit peacefully failed and ECOWAS, the sub regional monitoring group now says a military intervention has been authorized if he failed to handover on Jan. 19.

Tension between The Gambia and big neighbor Senegal rose after the latter’s Government lashed at Jammeh for refusing to accept the results.

Senegal has also been mandated by ECOWAS to lead the regional standby force that would force Jammeh out of power and restore the wish of the people in line with the constitution.

Meanwhile, coalition party spokesman Ahmed Mai Fatty says they have reports that Jammeh is planning to execute some opposition party key figures ahead of Jan. 19 and the Chief Elections Officer who presided the elections, Alieou Njie has fled the country over fears of his safety.