UN Unanimously Backs Gambia’s New President in Standoff
Local Editor
The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously backed regional efforts to ensure a handover of power in The Gambia, throwing its full weight behind newly-inaugurated President Adama Barrow in the escalating standoff.
The council adopted a resolution drafted by Senegal that expressed "full support" to the ECOWAS regional bloc as a first wave of Senegalese troops crossed the border into The Gambia.
The Economic Community of West African States has repeatedly called on longtime leader Yahya Jammeh to accept defeat in the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.
The council demanded that Jammeh "carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power" to Barrow, who was sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Dakar.
It expressed "its full support to the ECOWAS in its commitment to ensure, by political means first, the respect of the will of the people."
Russia and Egypt stressed that the resolution calls for peaceful means to resolve the standoff and that it does not invoke chapter 7 of the UN charter, which provides for the use of force.
Senegalese troops launched a military intervention after Barrow took the oath of office and demanded loyalty from Gambia's military.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Barrow to express his "full support" after his inauguration as did Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog who, as council president, conveyed "the full support of the council behind him."
Russia warned that military action could fail.
"For the time being, there is no bloodletting but if they intervene, who is going to take responsibility for that?" Russian Deputy Ambassador Petr Iliichev told reporters.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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