Security Council Press Statement on the Gambia Elections
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Román Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain):
The members of the Security Council commended the people of the Islamic Republic of the Gambia for the peaceful and transparent holding of elections on 1 December 2016.
In this regard the members of the Security Council strongly condemned the statement by the outgoing President of the Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, on 9 December rejecting the 1 December official election results proclaimed by the Independent Electoral Commission and calling for new elections.
They called on him to respect the choice of the sovereign people of the Gambia, as he did on 2 December 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Adama Barrow.
The Members of the Security Council urged the outgoing President to carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process and they requested that the security of the President-elect, Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured.
The members of the Security Council called on outgoing President Jammeh to respect the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on democracy and good governance and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, notably the rejection of unconstitutional changes of Government, and recalled the relevant provisions of Article 23 (4) of the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
The members of the Security Council urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from violence and remain calm.
The members of the Security Council called on the support by the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWAS) and international partners, especially ECOWAS, to preserve stability in the Gambia and work towards the installation of a democratically elected Government in the country.
They further expressed their commitment to continue to follow closely the evolution of the situation in the Gambia.