Senegalese Troops Mobilize to Enforce Power Transfer in The Gambia

In January 2017, Senegalese troops, under the mandate of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), mobilized along the Gambian border to ensure a peaceful transfer of power following a political crisis in The Gambia. The crisis arose after Gambian President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down despite losing the presidential election to opposition candidate Adama Barrow in December 2016. Jammeh initially accepted defeat but later retracted his concession, triggering regional and international concerns over potential violence and instability. As diplomatic efforts failed to persuade Jammeh to cede power, ECOWAS authorized military intervention to uphold the election results and safeguard democracy in the region. On January 19, 2017, Senegalese forces, supported by troops from Nigeria and other West African nations, were positioned at the border, ready to enter The Gambia if Jammeh continued to resist. The show of force pressured Jammeh to agree to step down and go into exile in Equatorial Guinea on January 21, 2017, allowing Adama Barrow to take office as the new president. This intervention reaffirmed Senegal’s leading role in promoting political stability and democratic governance in West Africa. #SenegalHistory #GambiaCrisis #ECOWASIntervention #SenegaleseTroops #YahyaJammeh #AdamaBarrow #WestAfricaPolitics #MomentsOfLife #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife