Gambia’s Jammeh declares he’s ready to go to war against ECOWAS

Defiant President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh has declared while delivering a New Year’s speech that he is ready to defend his country against external aggression after accusing West African regional body ECOWAS of declaring war.

In the speech, Jammeh said ECOWAS has put forces on alert in case he refused to step down at the end of his mandate this month.

Jammeh also decried “the resolution of ECOWAS on the current situation to implement the results of Dec 1, 2016 presidential election by whatever means possible,” apparently acknowledging again that the poll did not go in his favour.

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“It is in effect a declaration of war and an insult to our constitution,” he said. “Let me make it very clear that we are ready to defend this country against any aggression … My government will never opt for such confrontation but defending our sovereignty is a sacred duty for all patriotic Gambians.”

Jammeh who also remarked earlier that he is ready to die in power has already turned down mediation by ECOWAS through Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari who offered him an “honourable exit”, but Jammeh said the West African bloc could no longer fulfill that role.

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