Major decision on Jammeh expected after inauguration of Ghana's new president

About a dozen African heads of state and government are expected to attend the inauguration of Ghana’s President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Accra on Saturday.

On the sidelines of the event will be a meeting to decide the next action to take in resolving the crisis in Gambia after Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to heed to the directive of the West African bloc ECOWAS.

Garba Shehu, the spokesperson of the Chief Mediator in the Gambian crisis, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, disclosed this to the media in Abuja on Friday.

“Shortly after the inauguration, the leaders will be meeting on the crisis in The Gambia. A major decision on the impasse is expected to be taken at that all-important meeting,” Shehu was quoted by local Nigerian media Vanguard.

The co-mediator in the Gambian crisis is outgoing president of Ghana John Dramani Mahama.

Already in Ghana are Zambian President Edgar Lungu, Equatorial Guinea Vice President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi, Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma, Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome and Chadian President Idriss Déby.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to land in Ghana on Saturday morning for the inauguration. He congratulated the outgoing president and commended the people of Ghana for setting a great example. 

The President of Liberia and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is also in Ghana and will take part in the meeting which follows last year’s ECOWAS Summit in Abuja that called on Yahya Jammeh to accept the results and not to take any action to compromise the transition process.

Jammeh on the other hand described ECOWAS’ position as declaring war and also an insult to the Gambian constitution which has clear guidelines on how to solve its internal crisis.

Senegal has said that military intervention should be the last resort in the crisis hoping Jammeh will see reason and handover executive power peacefully.

Gambia’s Supreme Court has set January 10 as the hearing date for a case brought by Jammeh’s party to cancel the election result and hold fresh elections.