South Africa should take a stronger position on the situation in Gambia‚ and use its diplomatic weight to contribute to the removal of Yahya Jammeh from office.
This is the view of the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
Jammeh was defeated by Adama Barrow in the national elections held on December 1‚ but he has refused to relinquish his position.
Barrow was sworn in on Thursday evening as president in a low-key ceremony held at The Gambia’s embassy in neighbouring Senegal.
On Friday troops deployed by the Economic Community of West African Countries (Ecowas) entered The Gambia in an effort to remove Jammeh‚ but paused their advance as Jammeh asked for his deadline to be extended.
He has missed two Ecowas deadlines – midday and 4pm – to leave the State House in the capital Banjul. The BBC reports that the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania are in talks with Jammeh.
The Centre for Human Rights said any form of power sharing should be avoided‚ because this would be seen as rewarding a clear abuse of power and process.
“The government of South Africa should add its weight and voice to those of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States‚” the centre said in a statement.
It said South Africa had an added responsibility‚ as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council.
“What is happening in The Gambia is not a West African issue; it is an African issue‚” it said.
The centre urged the government to go beyond the statement by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation January 12‚ and take very specific and concerted efforts to persuade all parties to seek a peaceful resolution of the issue.
In that statement‚ the department said it supported the mediation efforts by Ecowas and urged all parties to co-operate to find a peaceful resolution of the impasse.
“South Africa should take a leadership role in condemning the abuse of process‚ and in trying to prevent loss of life‚ which increasingly seems to be inevitable‚ otherwise‚” the centre said.
SA should condemn The Gambia democracy crisis: Human rights centre
South Africa should take a stronger position on the situation in Gambia‚ and use its diplomatic weight to contribute to the removal of Yahya Jammeh from office.
This is the view of the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
Jammeh was defeated by Adama Barrow in the national elections held on December 1‚ but he has refused to relinquish his position.
Barrow was sworn in on Thursday evening as president in a low-key ceremony held at The Gambia’s embassy in neighbouring Senegal.
On Friday troops deployed by the Economic Community of West African Countries (Ecowas) entered The Gambia in an effort to remove Jammeh‚ but paused their advance as Jammeh asked for his deadline to be extended.
He has missed two Ecowas deadlines – midday and 4pm – to leave the State House in the capital Banjul. The BBC reports that the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania are in talks with Jammeh.
The Centre for Human Rights said any form of power sharing should be avoided‚ because this would be seen as rewarding a clear abuse of power and process.
“The government of South Africa should add its weight and voice to those of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States‚” the centre said in a statement.
It said South Africa had an added responsibility‚ as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council.
“What is happening in The Gambia is not a West African issue; it is an African issue‚” it said.
The centre urged the government to go beyond the statement by the Department of International Relations and Co-operation January 12‚ and take very specific and concerted efforts to persuade all parties to seek a peaceful resolution of the issue.
In that statement‚ the department said it supported the mediation efforts by Ecowas and urged all parties to co-operate to find a peaceful resolution of the impasse.
“South Africa should take a leadership role in condemning the abuse of process‚ and in trying to prevent loss of life‚ which increasingly seems to be inevitable‚ otherwise‚” the centre said.
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