No plans are underway yet to evacuate South Africans from Gambia.
Tensions in that country are high as President-elect Adama Barrow is due to be sworn into power on Thursday‚ but the outgoing president‚ Yahya Jammeh‚ is refusing to step down.
Barrow was elected president after a surprise victory in Gambia’s December elections.
Thousands of people‚ which include both tourists and Gambians‚ have fled the country in anticipation of violence.
The Economic Community of West African States this week authorised the use of military force if Jammeh continued to insist that he remain in power‚ with thousands of intervention troops massing on Gambia’s borders.
Driving concern is the uncertainty about how much support Jammeh has from his country’s military.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesman Clayson Monyela told The Times on Thursday that the government was monitoring the situation.
“There are South Africans living and working in that country‚ but none have requested assistance to leave. At the moment‚ there is free movement in terms of people arriving and leaving Gambia.”
He said South Africa’s embassy in Gambia was continuing to function normally. – TMG Digital
‘No South Africans have requested assistance to leave Gambia’: Dirco
No plans are underway yet to evacuate South Africans from Gambia.
Tensions in that country are high as President-elect Adama Barrow is due to be sworn into power on Thursday‚ but the outgoing president‚ Yahya Jammeh‚ is refusing to step down.
Barrow was elected president after a surprise victory in Gambia’s December elections.
Thousands of people‚ which include both tourists and Gambians‚ have fled the country in anticipation of violence.
The Economic Community of West African States this week authorised the use of military force if Jammeh continued to insist that he remain in power‚ with thousands of intervention troops massing on Gambia’s borders.
Driving concern is the uncertainty about how much support Jammeh has from his country’s military.
Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesman Clayson Monyela told The Times on Thursday that the government was monitoring the situation.
“There are South Africans living and working in that country‚ but none have requested assistance to leave. At the moment‚ there is free movement in terms of people arriving and leaving Gambia.”
He said South Africa’s embassy in Gambia was continuing to function normally. – TMG Digital
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