The United Nations representative for West Africa says under no circumstances can Gambian President Yahya Jammeh remain in power after losing the election.
Mr Jammeh seized control of the country during a coup in 1994, but narrowly lost the election to Adama Barrow in early December.
He initially agreed to hand over power but last week had a change of heart, saying the poll was not credible. His party is now challenging the outcome in Gambia’s Supreme Court.
UN envoy Mohammed Ibn Chambas warned the President would be strongly sanctioned if he clings to power.
“For Mr Jammeh, the end is here and under no circumstances can he continue to be President,” he said, adding: “By that time, his mandate is up and he will be required to hand over to Mr Barrow.”
Mr Chambas accompanied a delegation of Presidents representing the regional bloc ECOWAS who travelled to Gambia on Tuesday but failed to reach a deal that would see Mr Jammeh step down.
Instead, Gambian security forces stormed the Electoral Commission and forced its chairman to leave, a takeover described by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as an ‘outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people’.
The building in the capital Banjul remained deserted on Wednesday aside from two armed security guards; its front gate and ground floor entrances were closed.
“No-one has gone to work. I didn’t even try. No-one has informed me that I can go back,” Elections Commission chairman Alieu Momarr Njai said.
New judges needed to hear legal challenge
The ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction has filed a challenge to the election result in the Supreme Court, which has not held a session for a year-and-a-half.
Legal experts believe at least four new judges would need to be hired to hear the petition.
“We do not believe it will be heard by a credible court dedicated to ensuring the integrity of The Gambia’s democratic process,” a US Embassy statement said.
Analysts have suggested that the challenge in the Supreme Court — the legal channel for resolving election disputes — could put diplomats in a difficult position.
While such disputes are relatively common in Africa, the international community generally defers to established domestic legal mechanisms for resolving them.
However, in a notable exception, UN troops intervened militarily alongside France to oust Ivory Coast’s then-president Laurent Gbagbo after he used the constitutional court to overturn the 2010 election victory of Alassane Ouattara.
Asked whether military intervention was an option in Gambia if mediation failed, Mr Chambas said: “It may not be necessary. Let’s cross that bridge when we get there”.
ECOWAS leaders will discuss Gambia at a summit in Nigeria on Saturday.
