The
Nigerian Navy warship arrived Senegal after former President Yahya
Jammeh had left power for exile after a deal was struck with mediators.
Former president Yahya Jammeh
The Nigerian Navy warship, NNS UNITY, on Sunday, arrived at Dakar
Sea Port to carry out the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) mandate of restoring democracy in Gambia according to the
Vanguard.
The Chief of Training/Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen.
Ahmed Muhammed, received the ship on behalf of the Chief of Defence
Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin.
There are reports that the Navy warship was part of the military
strategies developed by the Nigerian government to forceful oust Jammeh
should peaceful negotiations fall. The vessel arrive Senegal - a
neighbouring country almost two days after the previously recalcitrant
Jammeh ceded power to Adama Barrow.
Earlier, the Force Commander, Operation Restore Democracy in
Gambia, Air Commodore, Tajudeen Yusuf, told journalists that the next
operation, after the arrival of the troops into Gambia, was to get the
president, Adama Barrow into the country.
According to him, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully conducted an aerial surveillance over Gambia. “The
ground troops have already moved into the Gambian territory, and no
opposition was met. It was a peaceful movement and we were welcomed by
members of the armed forces of the Gambia.
“The aim of this was to secure some key and vulnerable points,
in the Gambian territory so as to create peaceful passage for the
president to move in and for us to stabilize the country and eventually
for its democracy to continue to thrive,’’ Yusuf said.
He explained the war ship, which arrived on Sunday, would be
incorporated immediately into the ongoing operations. He said troops
would soften their operations for now, but would be on alert to tackle
any challenge that would come up.
“The former president has ruled the country for 22 years, he
still has his loyalists within the armed forces and the country in
general, and we cannot afford to be careless with the new president.
“We still have to do a lot of stabilization to ensure that
there is peace and that he is in charge of the country before we can
finally bow out," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment