Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh lambasts Ecowas mediators
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has hit out at regional mediators urging him to step down, saying he will not be intimidated.
The West African regional bloc Ecowas had called on him to honour his initial pledge to accept electoral defeat.
Mr Jammeh, who subsequently said the 1 December poll was flawed, added that he would defend his country if need be.
Ecowas had said military intervention might be a possibility if diplomatic efforts failed.
Mr Jammeh has launched a court action to annul the vote after the electoral commission changed some results.
The commission insists the outcome was not affected by an initial error and property developer Adama Barrow defeated Mr Jammeh.
In a 45-minute speech at the African Bar Association on, Mr Jammeh defended his position, saying West African leaders had violated the Ecowas principle of non-interference.
“Who are they to tell me to leave my country?” he said during his televised speech.
“I will not be intimidated by any power in this world. I want to make sure justice is done.
He touted himself as a man of peace, but would not allow anything to stop him from defending his country courageously and patriotically.
“I am a man of peace but that does not also mean that I will not defend myself and defend my country and defend my country courageously, patriotically and win.”
Reports say, it was his first public reaction to last week’s intervention by Ecowas leaders, and he reiterated his call for fresh elections as the only way to resolve the impasse.
BBC
