News, Politics

Thousands Fleeing Gambia As Political Standoff Deepens

Thousands of Gambians are fleeing to Senegal and Bissau

(JollofNews) – Thousands of Gambians including women, children and the elderly are fleeing the Gambia to neighbouring Senegal and Guinea-Bissau as the political standoff over last month’s election results deepens.

President Yahya Jammeh is refusing to handover power to opposition candidate Adama Barrow who was declared winner of the election by the country’s electoral commission.

He has also laughed a pledge made by leaders of the West African regional grouping to send a Senegal-led military force to intervene militarily in the Gambia and enforce the outcome of the election if he refuses to give up power when his mandate expires on January 18.

But as the dateline nears with President Jammeh vowing to stay put and defeat any foreign military invasion, the political uncertainty and fear of unrest has force thousands of civilians living in Banjul and other major towns to flee to the provinces and neighbouring countries.

Figures released by Guinea-Bissau Refugee Commission show that more than 1000 Gambians including women and children have taken refuge in the impoverished country in the past few days.

“It is clear that the total number is far higher than a thousand and rising daily,” Tibna Sambe Na Wana, the national coordinator for Guinea-Bissau’s Refugee Commission told AFP.

“Women, children and the elderly made up the greatest numbers, the official said, with more than 500 passing one border post near the town of Jegue in three days. They say they are scared of a military escalation.”

The UNHCR has also confirmed that thousands of Gambians are crossing into the Casamance region of Senegal. Most of the refugees are staying with friends and families and living on handouts.

30 Comments

  1. Adama Barrow fraudulently President elect

    Hello Fellow Gambians,

    I, Adama Barrow Independent Candidate representing the Coalition of eight parties hereby declare that the planned innaugration schuled for 19th January be postponed until when the ruling can be made on Petition filed by the APRC Party.

    The reason is, i want to go into office with a clean sheet. If i had known that the self exiled Gambians in the Diaspora had bribed the corrupt IEC Chairman Alieu Momar Njie before December 1st election i would have withdrawn my candidature. Democracy is not about cheating its all about being clean and to clean the mess other people left. On that note i am declaring the scheduled innaugration be halted until further notice. No urge for ascending to the presidency when the peace and tranquility of our beloved Gambia can be endangered.

    Many thanks for your cooperarion.

    Yours
    ADAMA BARROW
    Candidate Independent Coalition.

    • Bloody lair u are not president Barrow.show ur real face idiot

      • Mustapha please don’t waste your energy on this simpleton. He is not worth it. He is leaving in a fool’s paradise.

      • Some one who is a true Gambian patrotic citizen

        Do not try to look like Mr. Adama Barrow. He will never issue such obscured statement on net. You stupid idiot. Leave President elect in peace. Talk about the one who fooled himself and the Gambians by denying to step down after been defeat in an election internationally accredited free and fair. Do you think that the incumbent president owned the Gambia and dictate things as he wishes. Time will tell

    • Adama’s, you better run for your life. “Run to the Hills”. You have brought shame to us gambians

    • we need to fuck you from the front and the back .you son of bitch

    • FOOLISH IDIOT. Yayah Jameh. must be yo father and u are both dogs.

  2. This could be yaya jammeh or Isatou njie saidy or fatou lamin Faye. They are all evil, Adama Barrow is our president period. Save your energy and time, these are enemies of the Gambia. Gambia is bigger that Yahya and his fools, come January 19th Adama Barrow will be the president InshaAllah. Yaya Gambians will never forgive you and may you rot in hell fire you bastard

  3. Jammeh is not living power anytime soon. This political crisis would affect the economy very badly for business.

  4. You forget you was called ratatoy you foolish donkey ass

  5. Good that barrow took our advice and left for Mali. A cheater that he and his band of power hungry dogs are, they will never rule gambia. Jammeh was clearly cheated. He must fight back.

    • Mr Jatta I hard you like it in the Ass,But I did not know you like it that bad.You Pussy Jangkading you need to shut your mount.Motherfucker you need some prayers bless.

  6. A MODEST PLEA TO PRESIDENT YAYA JAMMEH AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THE GAMBIA: WAGE THE MORAL EQUIVALENCE OF PEACE AND NOT…

    BY SIDI N. BOJANG.

    As the saying goes, “now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their… you fill in the blank. Mr. President, you came to the aid of the Gambian people with the youthful exuberance and energy that is characteristics of most young men. Arguably, your bloodless Coup, unconstitutional as it was, was for the most part welcomed with open arms by a significant population that wanted change, but could not get it through the Ballot Box. Mr. President, can you see and appreciate the similarly and where I am going with this thought or observation? Pardon me if I have been in anyway or form been or appear to be inpatinent.

    The population and the country were young and the Winds of change was blowing accross our Continent, Africa. However, the leadership was “old” and set in their ways. New and young blood was needed to stear and Captain the Gambian Ship and you and your Colleagues took up the Talking drums call. You described or more accurately labelled your bloodless Coup leaders as “Soldiers with a Difference”. There was a great need for reassurance and you provided it to a Nation that recently experienced the most Traumatic and Painful Civil Disturbance of the 1981 Bloody Coup, which demonstrated the unmitigated ability for man’s ability for Senseless bloodletting and Wanton Destruction of Persons and Property.

    Gambians who lived through that Coup and the Intervention by Senegal to restore the Jawara regime, as well as those lucky to have been away during the 1981 bloody Coup (I am one such Gambian), extend their gratitude and appreciation to both the First Republic’s leadership, especially President Jawara and you and your Colleagues’ determination and decision to avoid blood shed. I don’t know, but I am of the opinion that your goal and objective as was those of your colleagues and the Jawara regime was for the Maintenance and Fostering of a Peaceful and Bloodless Coup and “transfer of Power” from the Old Guard to the “Young blood” with a “Can do” Spirit. As is now, those were lean and hard times in the Gambia.

    At the time, a local University education was a dream deferred. High School education was to many Gambians, a “previledged affair” especially if by birth and happenstance, you were born in a Certain Region and or Rural area, as well as be among the unfortunate majority without Political connections or Economic means. Electricity, Piped water, Highways and Good Feeder Roads were but non existent out of the Banjul, Bakau, Serekunda Metropolitan area or in the Brikama Area Council environ, and or happened to be one of the “Political and Business Class” or resided at a Government Entity such as a Government Hospital for example, the one at Bansang or Mansa Konko where Generators provided the electricity. The Airport was nothing to talk about. It was simply, Decrepit and not near any International standards. You and your Colleagues, “the 1994 “Soldiers with a Difference”, have brought in Modernity and Infrastructural development that is the envy of many a citizen of many bigger and more endowed African countries. Some critics, I included may express concern about some of the Methods used in the pursuit of getting the tasks at hand accomplished. I am not a Soldier and has always been more inclined to use persuasion and the proverbial “Use of honey to catch more flies than you would with vinegar” philosophy. Again, I beg your pardon any sign of lack of respect for the office as well as your person.

    You have done your part and the Nation Salutes you and all your colleagues who made such Achievement possible. You built upon the foundation laid by the “old” guard and now the Gambian people who have been with you during the Years of Duty and Uncompromising focus on Achieving a comparative Modern and Developing Gambia, need you to be MAGNANIMOUS and Rise Above All Human deficits and Pass the Baton to other Members of the Gambian Relay Team for them to “Run the Third Stage of the Gambian People’s Race to the top. Resolve and dig deeper into your Resouvoiur filled with the love of Gambia and Gambians, and Retire from the Management of the Gambian State. Examine your Values and Sense of Self, can you say that your Sacrifice and Devotion to the Country in the past can be surpassed by remaining in the Presidency, given all that has happened? I think not. In the Affairs of State and Men, the danger is not in achieving Power and Authority, but in knowing when to give it up. Now is the time and with the obvious Heavy Burden and Heartfelt Concern for the Gambian Supporters of your regime, do all the best in the pursuit of Peace, Security, and Tolerance to all Gambians and between all Gambians.

    The next Fourty-eight to Seventy-two hours should be filled with Reassuring and Reaching out to all Gambians and Stakeholders including ECOWAS Negotiators that you will depart from the Presidency and travel out of the Gambia for a period allowing the passions and wounds to cool down and heal. I pray and hope that you will Dispassionatly and Passionately listen to your Allah/God Fearing Inner Voice to guide you in the Urgent and Time Sensitive Decision to let go of the Gambian Presidency. I realize this is the longest career you ever had or held. As such you are not sure what and how to make yourself feel useful and relevant post the Presidency. It may seem impossible, but I am certain that you can adjust as long as you identify a hobby, something you are interested in and stay busy with that all the time. Above all, the knowledge that in “Politics there are no pernent friends, just permanent interest, and work on building non Political friends who are willing to Confront you with the Truth and Facts even when you do not want to hear that, would make you a better person, husband and father. Leadership, especially responsible and responsive requires that the leader be willing to follow when circumstances demand it.

    It can be argued that the “Revolutionary Mangoes” were ripe for the picking and you and your Colleagues helped yourself to the Opportunity presented to you by the Dereliction of Duty as well as Negligence of the “Old Guard” under the First Republic. In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess I was Conflicted about the Coup. Half of my thoughts were one of joy, premised on the Potential Progressive development both Political and Economic that was presented by the Occasion. Yet, I was sad, troubled and depressed by the personal and emotional feelings and love of office and person, the “Old” man, President Jawara, and especially, the affinity I had for two of the Members of his Cabinet. One was a long term family friend and the other became a friend through my friendship with his brother who I met in the States in the 1980s.

    I was also unsettled and worried about the faith of President Jawara who was by then at an advanced age, especially considering the life expectancy of Gambians at the time of the Coup in 1994. With the exception of P. S. Njie, the First Minister at the dawn of the Gambian Independence, and Sir Farinmang Sigarteh, the Governor General and the Queen’s representative in the Gambia during the years leading to Independence; President Jawara was all Gambians knew and had celebrated for decades and for good or bad. He was our Mandela and Nkrumah rolled into one body, even though he was more of the “West Minster Conservative Politician” brand and as a consequence the Gambian State of Affairs as stated above.

    It is the Pride and need for Self-actualization in men of Consequence and of the so-called “Type A Personality” who are associated with “Over achieving” and the capacity for them to remake themselves by putting their Need and Wants above the need for their loved ones, which has catapulted such men into the Annals of History. A history that would last and be recited by many yet to be born. The downside however, is the isolation and tendency for these individuals to regid and hard to Negotiate with or Persuade otherwise of their conviction or point of view.

    Endeavor to Negotiate in good faith and with a Defference to and for the Gambian people and the Common Destiny you share with them. Do not let All that you did and achieved with them be for nothing. Leave a legacy worth emulating and following. Do not be a part of or participate in the destruction of THE GAMBIA AND GAMBIANS BY COMMISSION OR OMMISSION. The Clouds and Drum Beat of Civil disturbance and potential deadly Conflicts are gathering, and Statesmanship is required from you and your Colleagues vis a vie all the other Stakeholders including ECOWAS Negotiators, the Coalition Alliance Party Leadership and President Elect Adama Barrow. Will you Step up to the Pitch and Demonstrate that you are Men and Women of Peace and for the Gambian People. Please make another declaration of your being a “President with a Difference” and Pass the Baton to the Gambian Team the Gambians are Cheering for the loudest. Time is simply, not in our favor as Peace loving Gambians. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc.

    • Good advice Sidi but I doubt it if Jammeh will listen to a word you have said. He is too blinded by pride to allow himself listen to voices of reason. Surrounding himself with self serving clowns is not helping him. These are people who knows that Jammeh is finished as president but they want to fill their pockets before seeing Jammeh off.

  7. Gambia’s army are dogs. they think they can face Senegal and Nigeria. this is the most dull army in the world to stick by an isolated and loosing man. General Badgie u are a dog.

  8. Yahya Jammeh needs to get a clue. And all the people who still support him need to get themselves checked.

  9. We have decided already and we will stand on what we have chosen. Even the Gambians have no support from any country we will fight for ourselves. Let them kill us like a (Faito) as he said but we want him out from this state house. Only a stupid and bastard army will point a gun on his friends, families and relative for a single man’s interest. I am talking to you Yahya Jammmeh.

  10. BABILI MANSA YOU ARE THE CHOICE OF THE MAJORITY. WE ARE NOT BLIND AND WE ARE NOT TRAITORS 22 YEARS OF PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMEN IS WHAT YOU GAVE US.

    Jammeh Musa, we are patriotically by your side from now and on and we are ready to die in defending our integrity with the last drop of our blood.

    To all those warmongers warning to all of you. Remember that no cockroach will be be spared. The foreign forces you are inviting to help you secure the pesidency for you will be met with an unexpected resistance which will surprise all and sundry. They are relying on their conventional armament superiority but they most know that conventional warfare and guerrila war tactics are not thesame. Senegal you are counting on why cant they uproot the insurgency in Cassamance. Ask the Nigerians why it took them so many years without defeating the Boko Haram.

    If they think that if they invade The Gambia to oust Jammeh forcefully and install Barrow is going to be that easy and quick, no its going to be a long battle which they cant sustain and they will end up abandoning The Gambia with their mess.

    This is a warning to all the traitors both home and abroad to know that no cockroach will be spared, so let them bite what they can chew or else they will all be choked.

    WARNING WARNING WARNING
    BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS YOU ARE CREATING. DONT LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE AND YET THROWING A STONE.

    • Killer Kanyi! Your man Yahya Jammeh is inching ever closer to his death unless he change course. The soldiers who betrayed their oath to protect the constitution and serve the people of the Gambia should know full well that the only thing awaiting them is death if they continue to support Jammeh after the 18th of January.
      The Badjies, sonkos and the kanyis should know that this war is not about tribal differences but about the refusal of the mad dog Yahya Jammeh to relinguish power after being defeated in a free,fair and transparent democratic election. We Gambians are all brothers and sisters irrespective of tribe or religion. We should not allow mad dog Jammeh to divide us, because that is what tyrants and despots do to prolong their grip on power. What is their for you the military to gain in this ungodly adventure of mad dog Jammeh, except death to yourselves, your family members and countless other innocent Gambians. History will never judge you the military kindly if you allow this maniac Jammeh to plunge our dear beautiful Gambia into war. Gambians suffered enough in the hands of mad dog Jammeh and his disciples.
      what is wrong with you the military? Willing to sacrifice your lives and the lives of countless Gambians and non Gambians. How much did Yahya bribed you with. Where are your families in this? Are they still on your side? an indefensible side. What love do you the military have for The Gambia and the Gambian people? You have disgraced yourselves and have let the Gambian people down, but let me make it clear brothers,we the Gambian people will not forgive or forget if you the military hinder our path to freedom. Free from the grip of fear, bad governance and all sorts of brutality in the hands of mad dog Jammeh and his henchmen. We the Gambian people will walk arms in arms majestically without fear to claim our country back from the grip of this arrogant fool named Yahya Jammeh.
      His excellency President elect Adama Barrow will be inaugurated on the 19th of January and no injunction is gonna turn us around. We are moving on.
      Long Live The people of The Gambia
      Long Live The Gambia
      Down to hell the evil monster Yahya Jammeh and all his cronies and apologist.

    • Dont Worry about what ever danger we have to face we will die for the cause.We are not losing any sleep from your threats .Babili mansa would soon be bamel mansa 6feet dip by the 19th,Run,run,run we are coming. Dut you fuck top big time

  11. Love The Gambia a smiling coast love Gambian we like brothers and sisters we know each other’s relatives we are 100% mixed blood by great of Allah we not allowed or allowing them to kill innocent people please pray for peace don’t trust politicians,,Those who provoke wars are the politicians and the first to hide with their relatives while they send us false promises of tranquility, some reason to trust politicians? let’s our religious leaders get involved please

  12. You all knew that Senegal wants to annex The Gambia since Sir Dawda’s regime when they proposed the Senegambia Confederation and it ended up failing. Since then they are searching for ways and means to destabilize The Gambia.

    Now that they have achieved what they were eagerly looking for, That is for Gambians to kill each other so that they can extend their territorial rule into the Gambia by installing their puppet who will be answerable to their authority and serve their needs geographically and politically.

    But i hope every Gambian with a sound mind should resist invasion and occupation and any Gambian who conievead with them will be labelled as a traitor and a sellout and will be killed like a cockroach. The sovereignty and our national territorial intergrity will never be compromised in any form. That why we are rallying behind the man who jealously guarded that who is Yahya A J J Jammeh Babili Mansa. A true and brave son of The Gambia.

    LONGLIVE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE GAMBIA NATIONAL ARMY PRESIDENT YAHYA A J J JAMMEH THE HERO
    LONGLIVE THE GAMBIA

  13. The evil axis of power is behind all wars and conflict in africa:

    1 City of London CORPORATION (not the actual city of london)
    The City of London Corporation is a cartel of global banking families who profit from the exploitation of africa and they control ALL THE MONEY ON EARTH

    2 Vatican city roman catholic church is the richest single organization on planet earth and they finance and profit from all wars and conflicts

    3 Washington DC is NOT part of the USA it is a separate corporate entity and it is the political and military wing of the same global banking cartel who control the city of london corporation and the vatican

    Jammeh was schooled and trained at the notorious “school of the americas” in alabama usa when he was 28 and a high ranking member of gambia military police

    There he learned how to take power in gambia

    Mere months after returning to gambia he took power in the coup with the backing of DC

    NEVER FORGET THAT IT IS THIS EVIL WICKED AXIS OF GLOBAL POWER WHO IS ULTIMATELY BEHIND ALL THE WAR AND CONFLICT IN AFRICA AND THE WORLD

    god will fix it dont worry

  14. Politics is never a game that should be played by politicians. They all lie and cheat and bribe and claw their way to the top of the heap. The heap is the same no matter who is on top?

  15. killer kanyi, you made your point. The fools who think senegal will save the gambia are dreaming. Guys don’t be fools. Don’t be blind. The progress jammeh brought to gambia will all be destroyed, land looted from our gambian and sold, cash looted. Gambia will be declared bankrupt if fools like mail fatty, adamant barrow and others take over. They are all power hungry. The have seen how jammeh manage to get foreign fund to gambia’s development and used only for the ppl of the gambia and development. They will try the same but will share the money amoung them.

    Open your eyes, come back to your senses.

    Long live the king
    Long live yaya jammeh

    • Jatta you are a mooron. Pseudo-education is a terrible thing. It must be very hard for you, living in a World where you can barely understand basic life issues. Getting through the day must be a real struggle for you. I advise that you rest your pea size brain. Don’t over work it by trying to engage in discourse that’s way above your intellectual capacity. Take paracetamol and go to bed. It will do you good.

      • Buba, for long Africans were blinded with stupid stories by the west. Adama is following the same with his gang of greedy associates.

        People like you follow. THE BLIND LEADS THE BLIND.

        now WHAT BRAINS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

        Jammeh is the way forward. Open your eyes.

  16. Puppet Barrow i know your foreign backers will used their Military Power to installed you but Gambia will also face a long-term instability.

    There will be a long-term insurgency and a guerrila warfare that will bring a huge collateral damage to both lives and properties and make the country ungovernable.

    Let every Gambian embrace the reality ahead of them. I agree that you will have your fraudulently elected president forcefully sworn in with the help of his foreign backers but but but Gambia will lost her status as a smiling coast forever. Mali is an example, Libya is another and Nigeria is another living example.

    Gambians had long been listening to the horrors of other nations in Sarjo Barrow’s weekly news called Jamano, its the turn of those nations to listen to that of the Gambia. Because i know no good news is coming out of it only sad news.

    Gambians be ready for the worst times if you think it is a one day operation and its over then you are wrong. This is going to be a bloodbath and it will shock all of you.

    BE READY FOR THE WORST.

  17. I cover the situation in my country, the Gambia, with the Blood of Jesus. Nothing bad will happen in Jesus name, Amen

  18. Buba, seem like you are one of the paid guys from Adama’s camp. It’s just that you are soo cheap, you are doing it to get a adama barrow t-shirt.

    Jammeh must have used the broom on you so you hate him soo much.

    No chance to make a decent living so restore to such cheap deeds so you can go to adama camp for a bone. Your existence is a curse to gambia. I feel sorry for the ones who raised you. They must have tried hard but being a pig that you are, know the way to the gutters.

    Be thankful to Jammeh for all the progress. Open your eyes and see how people praises him and thank him. He is truly the king.

    Wake up Buba, say thank you to the man, THE KING.

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