ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia

ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia
Part of the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis (first three days of the intervention)
Top: Senegalese army troops gather at the border with Gambia on 19 January Bottom:   The Gambia   ECOWAS Coalition
Date 19 January 2017 – Present Location The Gambia Result Ongoing Amidst the Gambian constitutional crisis, ECOWAS intervenes in the country militarily (at the request of Adama Barrow) without resistance from pro-Jammeh forces.[6] Jammeh leaves the country as forces approach Banjul, and Barrow arrives as President days later. 2,500 ECOWAS troops remain in The Gambia. Clash between ECOWAS forces and alleged Pro-Jammeh elements in The Gambian military in April 2017. Protests against continued presence of ECOWAS forces.
Belligerents
Pro-Jammeh forces Supporters of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction[1] MFDC[2][3] Foreign mercenaries[2]	ECOWAS forces  Senegal  Nigeria  Ghana  Mali (until 2020)  Togo[4] Pro-Barrow forces Supporters of Coalition 2016 Gambian Navy[5]
Commanders and leaders
Yahya Jammeh  Benjamin Yeaten	Adama Barrow Macky Sall Muhammadu Buhari Nana Akufo-Addo Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta[7] Faure Gnassingbé[8]
Strength
180 1,733 foreign mercenaries[2]	7,000 soldiers[4] 200–800 soldiers[9] 1 warship NNS Unity (F92)[10] 205 soldiers[11] ~125 Gambian navy soldiers[5]
Casualties and losses
2 civilians killed 3 alleged Pro-Jammeh Gambian soldiers, 1 ECOWAS soldier and 10 civilians wounded Some people remain displaced after 26,000–45,000 people fled during the 2016-2017 Gambian constitutional crisis[12][13]

The ECOWAS military intervention in the Gambia or the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (abbreviated ECOMIG)^[14] – initially code-named Operation Restore Democracy – is a military intervention in The Gambia by several member states of the Economic Community of West African States.

Troops from ECOWAS entered The Gambia in January 2017 following long-time Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's refusal to step down after his loss in the 2016 presidential election to Adama Barrow. This ultimately ended the 2016-17 Gambian constitutional crisis.

Forces entered the country on 19 January at the request of Barrow, who was sworn in that day as the new president at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal. As troops reached the capital, Banjul, Jammeh stepped down and left the country. Following his departure, 4,000 ECOWAS troops remained in The Gambia to maintain order in preparation for Barrow to return and consolidate his presidency. A week after his inauguration, Barrow returned to the country while requesting the 2,500 troops stay for at least six months to help him firmly establish order. He has renewed this request several times, and ECOWAS forces still remain in the country as of June 2023, training and assisting domestic security forces.^[15][16][17]

Although there were some reports of isolated minor clashes during the first few hours of the military incursion in January 2017, there were no reports of casualties in the initial conflict. In the following months, two civilians were reported to have been killed in incidents surrounding protests against the continued military presence in the community.