BANJUL, GAMBIA // Nigeria sent fighter jets and 200 soldiers to Senegal on Wednesday as part of a regional collective to enforce the result of Gambia’s contested election.
The Economic Community Of West African States has called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.
Mr Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday as president-elect Adama Barrow, who is in Senegal, insisted that his inauguration would go ahead as planned on Thursday on Gambian soil.
The Nigerian air force said the troops were part of an Ecowas military standby unit given the task of enforcing “the December 1, 2016 election mandate in The Gambia”.
Gambian politicians yesterday voted to extend Mr Jammeh’s term by three months.
Amid the uncertainty, more than 1,000 tourists began leaving the tiny nation, streaming into the airport for information on departing flights.
Mr Jammeh’s declaration triggered travel advisory warnings by Britain and the Netherlands, with around 1,000 British tourists expected to leave on special flights on Wednesday alone.
Tour operator Thomas Cook said it was laying on extra flights in the next 48 hours to remove 985 package tour customers from the tiny West African nation, and trying to contact a further 2,500 “flight only” tourists in Gambia to arrange for their departure.
“It’s because of the uncertainty and the likelihood an ECOWAS standby force will have to be deployed,” a diplomatic source said.
In Washington, the US state department urged Mr Jammeh to “peacefully hand over power” to Mr Barrow, but a military option is becoming more likely by the hour.
Under the Gambian constitution a state of emergency lasts up to 90 days if the national assembly confirms it – which the legislature did late Tuesday.
* Agence France-Presse
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
