Gambia constitutional crisis (2017)

Gambia constitutional crisis (2017)
Title	Gambia constitutional crisis (2017)
Date	December 2016 – January 2017
Place	Banjul, Kanifing, The Gambia
Causes	Disputed 2016 Gambian presidential election, incumbent refusal to cede power
Result	Inauguration of Adama Barrow after ECOWAS intervention and mediation
Parties1	Supporters of Yahya Jammeh, elements of Gambia Armed Forces
Parties2	Supporters of Adama Barrow, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Senegal
Leadfigures1	Yahya Jammeh, Isatou Touray (nominal ally), Lieutenant Colonel Lamin Sanneh (alleged)
Leadfigures2	Adama Barrow, Ousainou Darboe, Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, Macky Sall, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

Gambia constitutional crisis (2017)

The Gambia constitutional crisis (2017) was a political standoff following the 2016 Gambian presidential election in which incumbent Yahya Jammeh initially conceded defeat to challenger Adama Barrow but later rejected the result, triggering institutional paralysis, regional mediation, and a limited military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The crisis tested the resilience of Gambian institutions such as the Supreme Court of the Gambia, the Independent Electoral Commission (Gambia), and the National Assembly (Gambia) while drawing international actors including Senegal, Mauritania, Nigeria, Ghana, United States, and the United Nations into mediation and pressure campaigns.

Background

The political context included Jammeh’s 22-year rule since the 1994 Gambian coup d'état, following ties with the Gambia Armed Forces and relationships with regional leaders like Alpha Conde and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The People's Progressive Party (Gambia) era, the rise of parties such as the United Democratic Party (Gambia), and civil society organizations like Activism for Democracy and Development framed opposition mobilization. International engagement involved institutions including the African Union, the European Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, and human rights bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

2016 Election and Immediate Aftermath

The 2016 Gambian presidential election produced a surprise victory for Adama Barrow, who ran as a coalition candidate of the United Democratic Party (Gambia), the National Reconciliation Party (Gambia), and the Gambia Moral Congress (now Gambia Democratic Congress). Initial reactions featured a concession by Yahya Jammeh—echoing international practice observed in contests like the 2016 United States presidential election—but Jammeh later cited alleged irregularities and invoked clauses reminiscent of disputes in cases such as the 2013 Malian coup d'état and the 2008 Kenyan constitutional crisis. The Independent Electoral Commission (Gambia) confirmed results while opposition figures including Ousainou Darboe and Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang mobilized supporters in Banjul and Kanifing.

Constitutional and Legal Issues

Legal questions centered on constitutional timelines for inauguration per the 1997 Constitution of the Gambia, the jurisdiction and capacity of the Supreme Court of the Gambia, and the role of the Attorney General (Gambia). Attempts to seek redress invoked precedents from the Constitutional Court (various jurisdictions), while Jammeh’s announced state of emergency-like rhetoric implicated laws on public order and succession, reminiscent of constitutional disputes seen in the 2007 Togolese political crisis and the 2009 Honduran constitutional crisis. Debates involved interpretation of Article provisions, separation of powers, and the legitimacy of unilateral extensions of executive tenure.

Political Maneuvers and Institutional Responses

Domestic actors responded: the National Assembly (Gambia) convened, opposition-aligned governors and municipal officials declared support for Adama Barrow, and elements of the Gambia Armed Forces faced defections akin to patterns in the 2014 Burkinabé uprising. The Independent Electoral Commission (Gambia) maintained certification, while judges at the Supreme Court of the Gambia were unable to convene due to procedural hurdles and lack of quorum—parallels can be drawn to judicial standoffs in the 2010 Ivory Coast crisis. Civil society groups, student organizations at University of the Gambia, and diaspora networks in London, New York City, and Dakar organized demonstrations and lobbying campaigns.

International Intervention and Regional Mediation

Regional bodies took the lead: ECOWAS under the chairmanship of Macky Sall and with political backing from leaders including Muhammadu Buhari, Nana Akufo-Addo, and Ernest Bai Koroma engaged in intensive diplomacy and threat of force; they coordinated with the African Union and received statements from United Nations Secretary-General and Western capitals such as United Kingdom and United States. Senegal deployed troops to its border and provided staging grounds, reflecting bilateral ties established in agreements like the Senegal–Gambia Confederation (Senegambia) discussions of earlier decades. Mediation efforts involved leaders like Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and former statesmen such as Olusegun Obasanjo, resulting in negotiation attempts in Banjul and Dakar.

Transition of Power and Resolution

Facing diplomatic isolation and the credible threat of a limited ECOWAS intervention modeled after interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, Jammeh announced eventual relinquishment and went into exile, facilitated by arrangements brokered with countries including Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Adama Barrow was able to travel to Banjul and assume the presidency after an inauguration in Dakar organized to conform with constitutional timing, with guarantees from regional guarantors and oversight by international observers from organizations like the European Union Election Observation Mission and African Union Commission.

Aftermath and Political Reforms

Post-crisis efforts included proposals for constitutional reform via a Constitutional Review Commission modeled on mechanisms seen in South Africa and Kenya, investigations into alleged abuses during Jammeh’s rule by bodies such as Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (Gambia), security sector reform involving the Gambia Armed Forces and police reorganization influenced by advisors from United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and United States Africa Command, and transitional justice measures drawing on precedents like the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Political realignments affected parties including the United Democratic Party (Gambia), the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, and newer movements, while regional relations with Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania were recalibrated under Adama Barrow’s administration.

Category:Politics of the Gambia