Nothing Like A ‘State Of Emergency’ To Guarantee A Peaceful Transition Of Power

Just one day before his official mandate ends, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh conveniently declared a 90-day state of emergency. Several state leaders in Africa have tried to persuade Jammeh to hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow – who won the election – and Nigeria even went so far as to deploy a warship to put further pressure on Jammeh to step down already. Meanwhile, three Gambian ministers, including the foreign minister, have resigned and thousands of Gambians have fled to Senegal in fear of violence. However, in his televised announcement, Jammeh seemed pleasantly unaware of these events, warning citizens that any acts of disobedience are banned during his state of emergency.