Ghana sends combat team to Gambia

Ghana has made a commitment of about 200 ground troops to the ECOWAS operation meant to get President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia to relinquish power, the Ghana Armed Forces confirmed to Starrfmonline.com.

Jammeh lost the Gambian election last year, but refused to abdicate the presidency citing electoral fraud.

Regional bloc ECOWAS has prepared a Senegal-led force to intervene in the Gambia but maintained that military intervention would be a last resort. Speaking to Starrfmonline.com, the Director of Public Affairs of GAF Lt Col Aggrey-Quarshie said in line with ECOWAS’ decision, Ghana is also on standby with “a combat team” once the signal is received to zoom in on Gambia.

The Ghanaian troop are expected to join the Nigerian navy troops and the Senegalese forces.

Senegal has given Jammeh midnight to quit, according to the BBC. Today is expected to be Jammeh’s last day as Gambian president but the country’s parliament extended his stay by three months.

This stops Adama Barrow, the winner of the December 1 election from being inaugurated on Thursday.