The African Union has condemned the Gambian leader's sudden rejection of his election defeat as "null and void", a week after the president jovially conceded to his rival Adama Barrow.
Yahya Jammeh said late on Friday that he no longer accepts defeat in the presidential election in the small West African nation, and rejects the results "in totality".
The leader, whose 22-year rule has been marked by accusations of human rights abuses, said investigations since the December 1st vote revealed a number of voting irregularities.
The United States swiftly condemned Mr Jammeh's rejection of the election results, calling it an attempt to remain in power illegitimately.
And neighbouring Senegal’s foreign minister Mankeur Ndiaye called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the situation.
The government in Senegal, which envelopes Gambia with its 1.9 million people except for its coastline, strongly condemned Mr Jammeh's move and urged him to respect the election results.
The dramatic about-face was certain to spark outrage among the opposition and the tens of thousands who took to the streets after Mr Barrow was announced president-elect.
They shouted “freedom” and tore down posters of Mr Jammeh as security forces stood by.
Mr Barrow said Mr Jammeh had no constitutional authority to reject the results of the polls and call fresh elections. “I open up a channel of communication to convince him to facilitate a smooth transfer of executive powers in the supreme interest of this country,” he told reporters on Saturday.
Peaceful transfer
The African Union statement stressed the urgent need for a peaceful transfer of power and called on security forces to remain neutral.
Mai Ahmad Fatty of the opposition Gambia Moral Congress, one of eight parties that backed Mr Barrow, said the coalition has the will of the people on its side.
“Remain calm. We are working round the clock to restore sanity. We have the full support of our people. The world is with us,” said Mr Fatty.
“Gambia cannot afford instability.”
African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said Mr Jammeh’s statement was null and void, pointing out that he had already “publicly and gracefully recognized that the victory of president-elect Adama Barrow is the true expression of the will of the Gambian people.”
Just one week ago, Mr Jammeh was shown on state television calling Mr Barrow to wish him the best, saying he has no ill will.
Mr Jammeh, who seized power in a bloodless 1994 military coup, has long been accused of overseeing a government that imprisons, tortures and sometimes kill its opponents, according to human rights groups.
Agencies