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Nigeria's FM optimistic about Gambia's peaceful handover

Xinhua, January 5, 2017 Adjust font size:

Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama Wednesday expressed optimism that the Gambian President Yahya Jammeh would listen to the voice of his people to resolve the political impasse in his country.

Speaking in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city, the minister said his country will do everything possible to help Gambia have a peaceful resolution of its political crisis.

Onyeama, in spite of the Gambian leader's stands, expressed the belief that Jammeh would honor the call of the regional bloc leaders to bow out of office at the end of his mandate on Jan. 19.

"We would like to believe that he will listen to the voice of his peers in the sub region ECOWAS," he added.

"And that he will also listen to the voice of his people, but above all he will follow the democratic path. So, we will do everything possible to bring that about," he said.

"Essentially, we want a peaceful resolution to the issue. We have experienced conflict in our country and we know how far back in development conflict can take a country to," Onyeama added.

"So we will do everything possible to help Gambia have a peaceful resolution to this political crisis," the minister said. Enditem