Shocking as state of emergency declared in Gambia has forced more than a 1,000 Britons tourists fleeing the African nation

After the presidential general election that saw President Jammeh loose out after 22-years in power, he accepted the result but later rejected it, since ten there have been pressure on him to accept the result and leave office, in an effort, a state of emergency have been declared which has forced more than thousands of Britons leaving the country.

President Yahya Jammeh

Thomas Cook decided to bring holidaymakers back to the UK after a 90-day state of emergency was declared by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh two days before he was set to step down.

Although President Yahya Jammeh said he made the emergency declaration “to prevent a constitutional crisis and power vacuum”, officials claimed it is an attempt to extend his 22-year reign in office.

One Gambian immigration official said: “Everybody’s leaving. They’re worried there might be war.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned against "all but essential travel" to the west African county because of potential military intervention during the Presidential elections.

The statement went on to urge people to use commercial means to leave the country if they have no essential need to stay.

The holiday company will lay on additional flights from the capital Banjul on Wednesday to bring 985 package holiday customers home, and an additional 2,500 "flight-only" customers will be offered the earliest possible flights back to the UK.

The 51-year-old President, who initally accepted his election defeat, later declared it null after he expressed concerns of "foreign inteference".

In a statement, Thomas Cook said: "We will operate a programme of additional flights into Banjul airport over the next 48 hours to bring the 985 UK customers we currently have on holiday in Gambia home, including four additional flights on Wednesday 18 January.

"In addition, we have approximately 2,500 flight-only customers in Gambia, whom we are contacting to offer the earliest possible flight availability for return to the UK.

"Our colleagues on the ground in Gambia will proactively contact all customers on holiday with us as soon as possible to prepare for return to the UK."

The African Union, United Nations Security Council and Economic Community of West African states have all urged the President, who has been accused of human rights abuses, to leave his position.

A Gambian legal expert said: “He [President Jammah] is trying every trick he can think of to appear strong to local supporters and to appear peaceful to the international community, but he can’t change what’s coming.

“There are so many deals he should have taken,” a legal expert in Banjul said. “Perhaps he will wait until the last possible minute and then take a deal.”

But Nigeria offered him asylum in a bid to make him leave, whilst he was also offered a “golden retirement” in Morocco.

In the December polls, Mr Barrow won 43.3% of the vote compared with Mr Jammeh's 39.6%. A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, got 17.1%.

Adama Barrow, a former estate agent who beat Jammeh in the December election, hiding in Senegal just two days before his inauguration is scheduled.

Source: Express.....