Senegalese soldiers as part of a West African bloc force have crossed into Gambian territory to oust former President Yahya Jammeh.
Jammeh is refusing to cede power after being defeated in elections, causing the swearing in of Adama Barrow at the Embassy of Gambia in Dakar on Thursday..
Columns of Senegalese tanks went into the onslaught shortly after the new Gambian president Adama Barrow requested for foreign intervention by a UN-mandated Ecowas force.
The 15 member U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed military action in The Gambia to oust Jammeh and install new President Adama Barrow.
He took his official oath of office at the Gambia High Commission on Thursday in the presence of world diplomats and requested help from members of the international community to enforce the will of the Gambian people expressed through elections in December.
The West African regional grouping Ecowas had given Jammeh an ultimatum to step down on midnight Wednesday when his term expired.
A last ditch diplomatic effort by the Mauritanian leader to persuade Jammeh to relinquish power failed.
The international community which is backing Barrow had ceased to recognize Jammeh as the legitimate leader of The Gambia after midnight Wednesday.
Throughout Thursday, Nigerian fighter jets have been flying over Gambian skies while its newest warship has been stationed off the waters overlooking State House, the seat of power where Jammeh remains holed up since last month.
Another troop contributing country to the military expedition include Ghana which is providing some 200 combat troops.
Meanwhile, UN Security Council has affirmed that Adama Barrow is now the legitimate President of The Gambia, declaring that “former President Yahya Jammeh is out”.
The President of the Security Council, Olof Skoog (Sweden), told the UN Correspondents after the adoption of the Resolution 2337 (2017) by consensus by the 15-Member Council.
The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Resolution was sponsored by Senegal on the situation in The Gambia.
NAN reports that the Resolution by Senegal, sought the Council’s approval and support for ECOWAS to take all necessary actions to remove Jammeh and install Barrow as President.
“I just made a call to The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow to tell him that the Security Council is behind him and support him as the president.
“The Security Council affirmed support to President Barrow. The Resolution adopted just now is political.
“There is a strong request to former president Yahya Jammeh to carry out peaceful transfer of power to President Barrow.
“The Council resolved that the will of the people of the Gambia as expressed on Dec. 1 must be fully respected. That is the message of the UN Security Council.
“The Council urged all parties to exercise restraints. Jammeh is now out.
“The Security Council is now behind ECOWAS stands behind the efforts of ECOWAS to resolve the issue.
“The Council is following the events in The Gambia closely.
“The Security Council has directed the Secretary-General to report to the Council within the next 10 days.
“We know as we speak, political efforts are still ongoing to resolve the crisis peacefully,” Skoog said after the adoption of the Resolution.
He said that the Council wanted the political crisis to be resolved as bloodlessly as possible and would have preferred a peaceful resolution, if Jammeh would heed the call. (NAN)
