The Clock Ticks for Gambia’s President

Gambia's beleaguered president, Yahyah Jammeh, is standing firm in his resolve not to cede power in spite of his Dec. 1 election loss. In a Dec. 20 appearance on state television Jammeh declared that he "is not a coward" and dismissed as a mere formality the ongoing efforts by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to mediate a resolution to the standoff. Jammeh said that he would not leave office until the country’s highest court rendered a verdict on the election. Nevertheless, the Gambian president and his administration have become increasingly isolated since he decided to backtrack from conceding defeat to his political opponent, Adama Barrow. The path forward for Jammeh is narrower than ever at this point.