Botswana ‘no longer recognises Jammeh’ as Gambia president

The Government of Botswana has said it no longer recognises Yahya Jammeh as the President of The Gambia.

In a statement issued in Gaborone on Thursday titled: “RE: THE GAMBIA – BOTSWANA NO LONGER RECOGNISES MR. JAMMEH”, the government of Botswana said: “Following Mr Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to hand over power to the President-elect Adama Barrow, in accordance with the expressed will of the Gambian people, the Government of Botswana announces that it will no longer recognise Mr Jammeh as the President of Gambia, together with his Government.”

“This decision which takes effect immediately is consistent with Botswana’s position as articulated through the Press Release of 16th December 2016.

“Mr Jammeh’s decision not to respect the will of the Gambian people undermines the ongoing efforts to consolidate democracy and good governance in The Gambia and Africa as a whole. This is also in direct contravention of the spirit and aspirations of the African Union Constitutive Act.

“The Government of Botswana, therefore, continues to appeal to the international community to do all within its power to exert pressure on Mr Jammeh to hand over power in order to ensure a smooth transition,” the statement said.

Currently ECOWAS troops have entered The Gambia without resistance with the aim of ousting Mr Jammeh, whose tenure of office expired on the midnight of Wednesday, 18 January.