"Why is Mr Jammeh refusing to leave office?"

"The Gambia regularly held elections, which he won until last year. Mr Jammeh had said there were irregularities in the election process, including the turning away of some of his supporters from polling stations, and errors made by the Electoral Commission.

The Commission accepted that some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said Mr Barrow had still won. Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held. Retaining power would have ensured he was not prosecuted in The Gambia for alleged abuses committed during his rule.






The US state department urged Mr Jammeh to peacefully transfer power to Mr Barrow on Thursday. “Doing so would allow him to leave office with his head held high and to protect The Gambian people from potential chaos,” spokesman John Kirby said."