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Gambia’s long time ruler Yahya Jammeh has reportedly recalled his country’s ambassador to neighbouring Senegal after he “featured among prominent diplomats calling for him to step down,” a report says.
According to BBC, Jammeh sent an official notice to Momodou Njie in Dakar, Senegal, notifying him about the decision.
The Dakar based diplomat was among a list of Gambian diplomats who have called on the embattled leader to step aside after the December 1 elections.
At least five Gambian diplomats in Beijing, London, New York, Moscow and Brussels had called on Jammeh to step down.
On December 2, Jammeh made a magnanimous concession speech on television and promised – to general surprise – a peaceful and swift handover of power to president-elect Adama Barrow, sparking celebrations in the country.
But, barely a week later, Jammeh changed his mind, pointing to errors which awarded victory to Barrow. He claimed that numerous voters had not been able to cast their ballots.
Jammeh consequently launched a Supreme Court challenge, which is expected to be head on January 10.
Meanwhile, another BBC report indicated that the country’s LGBTI community had been accused of plotting a coup in the tiny western African country.
An observer and analyst of Gambia tweeted a screengrab of an article in the state newspaper blaming gay community activists and an “oil and gas lobby” of planning regime change in the country.
Per #Gambia‘s state newspaper, “the LBGT Lobby” has teamed up with the “Oil and gas Lobby in an endeavor to undertake a Regime Change Coup.” pic.twitter.com/IVRZpBEeU5
— Jeffrey Smith (@Smith_JeffreyT) January 5, 2017
This came after various reports said that Jammeh was hiring mercenaries to help him stay in power.
According to BuzzFeed, the long-time ruler had begun recruiting mercenaries with ties to other west African regimes, as he prepared to defend his “brutal” regime.
“Jammeh is ready to fight to the teeth and spend money to stay in power,” a former Liberian army commander who asked not to be identified for his safety was quoted saying.
