The Gambian Election: Yahya Jammeh Must Step Aside

The people of Gambia went to the polls on December 1, 2016. And as a result, incumbent President Yahya Jammeh lost the election to his main opponent, Adama Barrow. Initially, he accepted the outcome of the election and congratulated the elected candidate.

Few days after conceding defeat on state TV, the defeated Gambian President was reported to have rejected the election results, citing “serious and unacceptable abnormalities” in the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the head of Gambian electoral commission, had already explained that the rectified results did not change the overall outcome. Mr. Barrow won the presidential contest with 263,515 votes representing 45.5 per cent, while President Jammeh garnered 212,099 representing 36.7 per cent.

In recent times, the West Africa sub-region has seen member countries hold elections, and the political baton changing hands in a peaceful manner to the admiration of the international community.

In Nigeria for example, incumbent Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election to his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari. And the world hailed Africa’s largest country for the smooth transition of power.

Ghana has just held its 2016 Election in December. Consequently, the outcome of the election went in the favour of the opposition. Therefore, preparations are underway for President John Mahama to hand over to the President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on January 7, 2017.

It is disheartening that the embattled Gambian leader has turned a blind eye to the wind of democracy on the African continent. On the contrary, President Jammeh annulled the election results and called for another polls before filing a petition at the Supreme Court of the Gambia.

Brief about the Gambia
The Gambia, one of Africa’s smallest countries with a population of 1.8 million, gained independence from the British colony on February 18, 1965. Banjul is the capital, and English is the official language of the country.

The national economy is dominated by farming, fishing, and especially tourism. Agriculture accounts for about 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), and employs over 70 per cent of the labour force.

Since independence, the country has had two leaders: Sir Dawda Jawara (1970–1994), and Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh who seized power through a military coup in 1994.

Unlike other West African countries, the Gambia has relatively enjoyed long spells of stability since independence. However, the stability has not translated into prosperity.

Several years ago, the country was known as a strong player in international diplomacy. Until 1994, Gambians didn’t need visas to travel to countries such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

Regrettably, the misguided foreign policy of President Jammeh has created a hostile relationship between the Gamabia and these countries.

The Gambian economy, which used to be one of the most successful and resilient economies in West Africa, has downgraded miserably.

Rise to power
As a matter of fact, President Jammeh surprised the world and his worst critics by accepting defeat in the December 1 election. Amazingly, he made a turnaround and called off the election results.

The Gambian long-term President is known for walking around with his prayer beads and a stick. Yahya Jammeh is one of the world’s most eccentric and ruthless leaders. He portrays himself as a devout Muslim with miraculous powers to cure people of AIDS and infertility.

Born on May 25, 1965, as Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh; he enlisted into the Gambian National Army in 1984 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1989.

Jammeh received extensive military training in neighbouring Senegal, and later at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Subsequently, he seized power as a young 29-year army lieutenant in 1994 through a coup which removed Sir Dawda Jawara from office.

Lt. Jammeh founded the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) in 1996. President Jammeh won the 1996 presidential election; he was re-elected in 2001, 2006, and 2011. He suffered a shocking defeat in his fifth attempt after 22 years in office.

Abuse of human rights
The 22-year authoritarian rule of Yahya Jammeh was characterised by human rights’ violations and the incessant arrests of politicians, journalists and activists, often on false charges. President Jammeh has been heavily criticised for restricting freedom of the press.

The Gambian leader was behind the execution of several criminals and political opponents who were on death row. He also demonstrated his opposition to gay rights, having once threatened to behead gay people. ‘Homosexuality threatens human existence’, he emphasised.

In 2013, Jammeh ordered the last execution of prisoners on death row in the Gambia. As a result, nine people were executed, including an army lieutenant who was jailed in 1997 for attempted coup.

President Jammeh has been linked with the 2004 massacre of 44 Ghanaian migrants, and 10 other ECOWAS nationals. The alleged mercenaries were arrested and killed in a forest. But one of them managed to escape and later returned to Ghana to break the news about the gruesome killings in the Gambia.

Foreign intervention
President Jammeh’s decision not to accept the election results has sparked outrage and condemnation from the international community such as the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and the United States.

Meanwhile, the preliminary intervention of the UN, AU and ECOWAS diplomats persuading President Jammeh to accept the choice of the Gambians has not been fruitful. I side with the sub-regional body that if persuasion fails force must be applied to get Jammeh out of office.

President Yahya Jammeh must respect the will of the Gambian people by cooperating with the incoming government to ensure smooth transition of power on January 19, 2017.

Enough is enough Mr. President; it’s time to bring your 22-year rule to an end and make way for the Gambia’s President-elect, Adama Barrow.

ASP James Annan
Ghana Prisons Headquarters
Cantonments, Accra
[email protected]