The African Union (AU) on Saturday called on President Yahya Jammeh to respect the results of The Gambia’s election in which he initially conceded defeat before changing his mind and rejecting the loss.
“The chairperson of the commission strongly urges President Yahya Jammeh to facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition and transfer of power to the new president of The Gambia,” AU Commission Chairperson Nkosozana Dlamini-Zuma said.
Jammeh conceded defeat immediately after the December 1 poll but on Friday issued a statement saying investigations had revealed “unacceptable errors” by the electoral authorities and that he would no longer concede to opponent Adama Barrow.
Dlamini-Zuma said Jammeh’s statement was “null and void” and that the election of Barrow “is the true expression of the will of the people”.
She said all parties in The Gambia must “comply with the rule of law” and that the AU’s Peace and Security Council would discuss the matter urgently.
The military deployed on the streets of the tiny West African nation following Jammeh’s statement which was broadcast on state television late on Friday.
