Ellen holds back on Jammeh
Liberia’s President and ECOWAS Chairperson Mrs. Ellen Johnson -Sirleaf says she is not going to say any more about Gambia’s YahyaJammeh until an ECOWAS meeting scheduled for Saturday, 17 December in Abuja, Nigeria.
“We simply went there to talk to all the parties concerned, you’veread the press so you know what’s happening. It’s been an election,being concerns by the president. We are not going to say anymore aboutit until we go to Abuja on Saturday,” she told journalists at theRoberts International Airport late Tuesday night after being escortedhome on a Nigeria Airforce by President MohammaduBuhari.
She, however, said “everybody there” was calm, peaceful and that theyall had pledged peace, security and to work together until they find asolution.
President Sirleaf touched down here at RIA at about 11:05pm, far laterthan her anticipated arrival time, which prompted the gathering of herofficials and journalists at the airport during the afternoon hours ofTuesday, 13 December.
Mr. Jammeh became a center of controversy after rejecting results toan election of which he had already conceded defeat to oppositionpresidential candidate Mr. Adama Barrow, a property developer
supported by a unified opposition.
Reuters news agency is suggesting that the international communitycould be put in a difficult position by Mr. Jammeh’s move to challengethe election results at the Supreme Court, particularly looking at thefact that he had 60 days to hand over power and that a court matterhas already evolved.
While preparing to leave from The Gambia where President Sirleaf hadlead an ECOWAS delegation, Reuters quoted her saying “It is not timefor a deal. It is not something that can happen in one day. It issomething that we have to work on”.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, Sierra Leone’s Ernest Bai Koroma and Ghana’s John Mahama, who is also an outgoing presidentafter conceding defeat to opposition Nana Akufo – Addo, were on thedelegation with President Sirleaf.
By Winston W. Parley-Othello B. Garblah
