ECOWAS recognizing Barrow as The Gambia’s new president and requesting a peaceful transfer of power
“by political means first.” ECOWAS extended the deadline for ECOMIG’s threatened use of force as
President Ould Abdelaziz (Mauritania) and Alpha Condé (Guinea) made last minute pleas with Jammeh.
On 21 January, Jammeh conceded defeat, with a negotiated agreement that would ensure his dignified
exit. There are reports that he had initially back-tracked on accepting defeat in December due to threats
of prosecution or reprisals for allegations of human rights violations committed during his presidency. As
such, he was willing to accept defeat and exile when those concerns were addressed by the mediation
presidents through the agreement. Questions remain about whether the threat of the use of force was
legally justified by ECOWAS (See “A New African Model of Coercion? Assessing the ECOWAS Mission
in The Gambia,” P. Williams, IPI Global Observatory, (16 March 2017).); regardless, the determination of
peaceful resolution was aided by combined efforts of political leaders.
Barrow returned to The Gambia on 26 January 2017, a few days after Yahya Jammeh left for Guinea.
Barrow requested that the ECOWAS regional military force be positioned in the country for six months
(later extended for an additional year) amidst some concerns that elements of The Gambia’s security forces
may remain loyal to Jammeh. In addition to Jammeh’s d