7866th Security Council Meeting: Peace Consolidation in West Africa

The Security Council endorses recognition by the African Union and regional states, of Adama Barrow as President-elect of Gambia, unanimously adopting resolution 2337 (2017), at 7866th meeting.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:32:39
• Production Date: 19 January 2017
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Corporate Name: AFRICAN UNION - AU; ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES - ECOWAS
• Subject Topical: INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY; ELECTIONS; POLITICAL EVENTS
• Geographic Subject: GAMBIA
• MAMS Id: 1816913
• Parent Id: 1816812

Description

The Security Council endorsed today the decisions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union to recognize Adama Barrow as President-elect of the Gambia.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2337 (2017), the Council requested that outgoing President Yahya Jammeh carry out a peaceful transition and transfer power to the President-elect by 19 January 2017, in accordance with the Constitution.

The Council welcomed the decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council declaring that the outgoing leader would cease to be recognized as the legitimate President of the Gambia, while also declaring the outcome of the 1 December 2016 elections inviolable. It welcomed the Peace and Security Council’s call upon the outgoing President to keep to the “letter and spirit” of his speech of 2 December 2016, in which he congratulated President—elect Barrow.

Calling upon countries and relevant organizations in the region to cooperate with the President-elect to realize the transition of power, the Council requested that the Secretary-General facilitate political dialogue among Gambian stakeholders to ensure respect for the election outcome, and that he provide updates on the implementation of resolution 2337 (2017) within 10 days.

In the ensuing dialogue, members welcomed the unanimous adoption of resolution 2337 (2017), with many expressing support for ongoing mediation efforts by ECOWAS and the African Union. They called on the outgoing President to respect the legitimate voice of the Gambian people, as expressed in the elections.

A number of speakers, however, said the adoption did not imply the Council’s endorsement of possible military measures. Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz (Bolivia) said the situation would not endanger international peace and security, and the resolution could therefore not be seen as endorsing the use of force. A specific resolution would be needed for that purpose, he emphasized. Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt), meanwhile, reaffirmed that the Council’s support for regional positions coincided with a belief in African solutions to African challenges, echoing a point made by China’s representative.

Some speakers said the negotiations on the resolution had been “rushed”, with Uruguay’s representative stressing that, as a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group, his delegation would have preferred more inclusive discussions. However, Tekeda Alemu (Ethiopia) pointed out the rapid deterioration of the situation, underling the need for every effort to ensure that it did not descend into chaos. State institutions should not be allowed to collapse, he said, adding that the usurpation of power — and the unconstitutional move to retain it — should not be allowed to succeed.

Fodé Seck (Senegal) described the resolution as a continuation of efforts by ECOWAS and the United Nations to find a solution to the situation, and underscored the importance of President-elect Adama Barrow’s call to respect the will of the Gambian people.

Also speaking today were representatives of the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, Japan, France, United States, Italy and Sweden.

The meeting began at 1:07 p.m. and ended at 1:40 p.m.