Absurdities and inordinate behaviour of Jammeh amidst the imminent anarchy in Gambia

BY SHEYI BABAEKO

Plato must have had tyrants like Yahya Jammeh, the outgoing President of The Gambia in mind when he succinctly asserted that “Democracy passes into despotism”. 

The renege and annulment of the recently concluded election in Gambia, where Adama Barrow won the Election with a popular vote is an invitation to anarchy in which the outgoing President must consider the grave implication for staying in power beyond the 18th of January 2017 which is utterly unconstitutional, undemocratic and a threat to the promotion of democracy.

The wish of the people of Gambia must be respected. Based on Carothers’ observation (feebler policy commitment), should we say that democracy promoters are also ‘democracy spoilers’? If not how can you concede defeat only for you to annul an Election that you commended as a free, fair and a credible election?

The question begging for an urgent answer now is:

What could be the drivers of internal promotion of democracy since the ‘externally promoted democracy’ is resisted and seen as neo-colonisation or an instrument of regime-change in most of African States?

It is particularly worrisome that history is about to repeat itself.

That the process of democratization increases the risk of society breakdown (war, moral degradation due to media globalisation…)—elections in Africa-Kenya (2009), Zimbabwe (2011), Ivory Coast-all these have ended up into civil wars and ‘power-sharing deals’.

It is important at this point in time to appeal to ECOWAS to consider forceful eviction of despotic, tyrannical and draconian Jammeh as the last option and it must be done with every professionalism to avoid civilians causalities, especially women and children who are victims of war.

The adamant nature of the outgoing President to remain in power is not only provocating, it is also a threat to the global security but caution must be taken to get Jammeh out to avoid a Libya scenario where things have never been the same since the forceful removal of Ghadaffi.

Sheyi Babaeko is a social commentator, policy analyst and counter-terrorist strategist. He writes in from Leeds, UK.