Summary

  • President-elect Barrow sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Dakar

  • Huge diplomatic presence at inauguration

  • Barrow demands loyalty of armed forces

  • Nigerian military planes 'fly over Gambia'

  • Jammeh's propaganda chief says he is not quitting

  • Botswana no longer recognises Jammeh as president

  • Gambia's capital is 'eerily quiet'

  • Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Thursday 19 January 2017

Live Reporting

Tom Spender and Farouk Chothia

  1. Gambia's vice-president 'quits'

    The Gambia's Vice-President Isatou Njie-Saidy resigned yesterday, hours before his mandate expired, the AFP news agency has quoted family sources as saying. 

    The environment and higher education ministers also quit, the latest of a string of cabinet members to abandon Mr Jammeh following his refusal to step down after more than two decades in office, AFP reports.

    Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice president of Gambia, walks into a meeting on the sidelines of a UN-sponsered conference seeking ways to limit the impact of the financial crisis on developing countries in Doha on November 30, 2008AFP

    Ms Njie-Saidy held the post since 1997

  2. Jammeh's lawyer 'flees'

    The lawyer for Gambian strongman Yahya Jammeh has fled to Senegal after writing a letter to the defeated president urging him to give up power, Nigeria's Premium Times newspaper reports. 

    Edu Gomez said he had worked for M Jammeh under "tremendous pressure and coercion", it reports. 

    The newspaper also quotes the letter as saying: 

    On Tuesday 17 January 2017, my son and I took a crucial decision to seek sanctuary in the sister Republic of Senegal. This was found necessary due to the mounting fear and rapidly increasing tension at every passing moment."

    The BBC has not obtained independent confirmation of the report. 

    Mr Gomez represented Mr Jammeh in his legal bid to annul his defeat at the hands of property developer Adama Barrow in the 1 December election. 

    Map

  3. Gunfire in Ivory Coast port as mutiny spreads

    BBC World Service

    There's been sporadic gunfire in the port city of San Pedro in Ivory Coast, as deadly protests by mutinous soldiers spread across the country. 

    The shooting came just hours after the reopening of the main port in the commercial capital, Abidjan, which was closed following earlier unrest. 

    A rebellion among troops over pay started nearly two weeks ago, but the government agreed to meet their demands. 

    More disgruntled soldiers, who weren't part of the deal, have taken to the streets since Tuesday demanding similar payments.

    A soldier of Ivory Coast presidential guard stands guard at the port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast January 18, 2017Reuters

    Loyalists troops have tried to maintain order

  4. Gambia's Barrow 'to be inaugurated in Senegal'

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    The Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow has tweeted that he is to be sworn in as president in The Gambian embassy in the Senegalese capital Dakar at 16:00 local time (16:00 GMT).

    Earlier reports had suggested he would be inaugurated at a location in The Gambia.

    It follows the failure of last-ditch negotiations to persuade defeated President Yahya Jammeh to step down.

    A deadline has now passed without Mr Jammeh leaving power. 

    A BBC correspondent in the capital, Banjul, says it is eerily quiet and everything has come to a standstill; people are staying indoors:

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    West African military forces are poised to move in to enforce the transfer of power. 

    Unconfirmed reports say troops from Senegal have already crossed the border to secure a number of towns, with the help of Gambian soldiers. 

    Mr Jammeh - who has been in power for more than two decades - disputes the election result.  

    Read: From estate agent to president

  5. Today's wise words

    Our African proverb of the day:  

    One should look into what caused the elephant's tusk to break."

    A Chewa proverb sent by Potipher Jacobs P, Lusaka, Zambia

    Click here to send in your African proverbs.  

  6. Good morning

    Welcome to the BBC Africa Live page where we'll be keeping you up-to-date with news and trends across the continent.