In the midst of political crises he instigated in his country, Gambian leader, Yahaya Jammeh, has been incommunicado.
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, revealed his frustration in attempting to reach him in a statement in New York on Thursday.
“Despite efforts to reach President Yahya Jammeh by phone, the Secretary-General has not yet been able to speak with him”, the statement by Stephane Dujarric, Ban Ki-Moon’s spokesman said.
According to the statement, the UN chief has however spoken with Adama Barrow, the President-elect to congratulate him on his electoral victory and to reiterate the commitment of the UN to a peaceful, timely, and orderly transfer of power.
In a readout of the phone call to Barrow, Ban Ki Moon said the UN welcomed and fully supported the decision of ECOWAS on Dec. 17, to support the safety of the president-elect.
Ban advised the president-elect to urge his supporters to show restraint and not resort to violence.
The secretary-general emphasised that the UN would support the will of the people in their election of Barrow as well as the future government in efforts to promote democracy and sustainable development of the country.
The UN Security Council and the AU have also expressed such support and have acknowledged Barrow as the president-elect after he defeated the incumbent, Jammeh, in the Dec. 1 presidential election.
