The military action reflects the region's dissatisfaction with what leaders see as Jammeh's seemingly unhinged leadership. It was also aimed at forestalling ”hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in Gambia," the Nigerian government, a member of ECOWAS, said in a statement. Nigeria and Ghana have also pledged military forces to the effort, but it was not clear whether any of them had joined the Senegalese forces in launching cross-border operations.
Jammeh's term officially expired at the end of Wednesday night. Earlier that day, troops from Senegal moved to the border with Gambia.
Jammeh, a former army officer who first took power in a 1994 coup, has increasingly become an international pariah. He is known for making bizarre claims, such as touting his ability to cure AIDS with local herbs. In Gambia, Jammeh's many critics say he helped enrich a small circle of politicians while doing little for the rest of the impoverished country, leading to a massive exodus to North Africa and Europe.
Jammeh also vowed to slit the throats of gay men and ordered security forces to round up hundreds of people accused of witchcraft. Last year, he said Gambia would leave the International Criminal Court, which his administration mocked as the ”International Caucasian Court."
