Gambia: Entrenched leader Yahya Jammeh urged to leave office or face military overthrow

As we conclude our coverage of the unfolding presidential crisis in The Gambia, unnamed Guinean sources have said outgoing president Yahya Jammeh is penning a resignation statement.

Despite the reports there is no indication that Jammeh has left his presidential residence in Banjul and Adama Barrow, who won December 2016's presidential poll, remains in Dakar, Senegal. Military support for Jammeh has evaporated in the face of an intervention by West African states.

For the latest information on the ongoing situation in Gambia click here.

Reports from Gambia have started to claim Yahya Jammeh will step down.

France 24 reporter Nicolas Germain has tweeted that officials from Guinea have confirmed the outgoing president, who ruled for 22 years, has accepted he will go.

The second, 16:00 deadline for Yahya Jammeh to step down has passed with no change in the situation.

Gambia's army chief Badjie has told Reuters that his army will welcome West African troops "with flowers" and they will "make them cup of tea."

After the passing of Yahya Jammeh's 12:00 deadline to leave office a new deadline of 16:00 has now been put in place.

The BBC reported the new time was imposed to allow the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania conduct last minute talks with Jammeh.

As talks with Jammeh are underway, new Gambian president Barrow tells Sky News he wants the UK to be his country's number one trading partner.

Outgoing President Jammeh might leave Gambia for Guinea's capital Conakry, according to BBC Africa reporter Umaru Fofana, reporting from Banjul.

The situation is still quiet in Gambia, as the Presidents of Mauritania and Guinea have just reached Banjul airport. The noon deadline has expired, meaning Jammeh might be given more time to relinquish power.

With 20 minutes left until the deadline given to Jammeh, reports say the outgoing leader and his family are still in the State House.

It is believed the Mauritanian and Guinean presidents will tell Jammeh he has to leave with them on the plane they arrived in or face a military overthrow.

Who is President Adama Barrow?

Barrow,51, is a former businessman and member of the United Democratic Party (UDP) opposition party. He lived in London, where he worked as a security guard at an Argos store, before going back to Gambia to set up his own business.

This is what he told IBTimes UK a few days after he defeated Jammeh in presidential election held on 1 December 2016:

Footage purportedly showing Gambian army's chief Ousman Badjie celebrating following Barrow's inauguration has emerged.

Badjie told AFP on 18 January that his troops would not fight West African forces. "We are not going to involve ourselves militarily, this is a political dispute. I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight. I love my men," he said.

Around 45,000 Gambians, mainly children, have fled into neighbouring Senegal since 1 January, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

"The next few days will be critical and more people may leave the country if the current situation is not resolved peacefully soon," UNHCR said in a statement.

The agency added Senegal had prepared aid for 100,000 arrivals. Meanwhile, NGOs have warned that a humantiarian crisis might be sparked on the border between the two nations as people continue to cross.

Talks led by Guinean President Alpha Conde are set to start in the capital Banjul in last ditch to convince Jammeh to relinquish power.