The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal in case of the need to enforce Gambia’s election mandate, military authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
They are joining Senegal’s forces at the Gambian border and will enter the country if President Yahya Jammeh, who lost a December 1 election, does not step down when his official mandate ends at midnight.
Ghana and other countries in the sub-region are also contributing troops.
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal as part of Nigerian contingent of Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG) – a standby force tasked by ECOWAS Heads of State to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in the The Gambia,” spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force, Ayodele Famuyiwa, confirmed in a statement sent to the media.
According to the statement, “a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia.”
The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia.
Addressing the contingent before departure, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, urged the troops to maintain discipline and be professional in their conduct.
Reminding them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, the CAS stated that no act of indiscipline by the contingent would be tolerated.
The contingent, led by Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf, was airlifted on Wednesday morning from 117 Air Combat Training Group Kainji.
Senegal had given Jammeh a midnight GMT deadline to quit or else a West African regional force will use all necessary means to ensure he does.
Wednesday was meant to be Jammeh’ last day in office but parliament has granted him three more months in the post.
That effectively stops successor Adama Barrow being sworn in on Thursday.
Jammeh has ruled The Gambia since taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994.
At least 26,000 Gambians, fearful that violence could erupt, sought refuge in Senegal this week.
Meanwhile, thousands of UK and Dutch tourists are being evacuated from the tiny West African state, which is popular with European holidaymakers because of its beaches.
