Gambia’s foreign minister abandons Jammeh

Neneh MacDouall-Gaye, foreign minister of The Gambia, has quit the cabinet of President Yahya Jammeh.

MacDouall-Gaye sent in her resignation through a letter, giving rise to the belief that she fled the country before hinting Jammeh of her decision.

Sheriff Bojang, Gambia’s information minister, who resigned last week, also left Gambia before disclosing his action.

Jammeh is becoming more unpopular as a result of his decision not to hand over power after losing the December presidential election.

He initially accepted defeat, but later made a U-turn, citing alleged irregularities.

In her letter, MacDouall-Gaye said she decided to quit because she could no longer “perform her duties effectively under the prevailing circumstances”.

“This letter serves as a formal notice of my resignation as the minister of foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia,” she wrote.

“I am of the conviction that under the prevailing circumstances, I cannot effectively serve as foreign minister. I thank you for the opportunity you given me to serve my country.”

A popular broadcaster, MacDouall-Gaye was a trusted ally of Jammeh.

There are reports that the ministers of finance and economic affairs, trade, industry and employment, environment, may have also resigned.

Meanwhile, the top judge in Gambia’s supreme court declined on Monday to rule on Jammeh’s petition to overturn his election defeat, marking a dead end for the former soldier who has refused to heed international pleas that he quit.

“It is crystal clear that the justices from Nigeria and Serra Leone are not coming,” Emmanuel Fagbenle, the court’s Nigerian chief justice, said.

He said the court would be adjourned until the next regular session in either May or November, but added that the petitions could be heard if the judges arrived sooner.

The court’s inability to convene only deepens the political crisis in Gambia, as allies of Jammeh have said there could be no inauguration with petitions still pending before the court.

“In the interest of justice, the petition must be heard and determined before the inauguration can take place,” said Edward Gomez, a lawyer for Jammeh’s APRC political party, reacting to the adjournment.

Tensions are rising in the capital Banjul as Adama Barrow’s January 19 inauguration approaches.

Heavily armed security forces man checkpoints throughout the city.