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| Gambia crisis: Jammeh pleads for more time as troops close in | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh has asked for a deadline for him to leave office or be forced out by UN-backed forces to be extended until 16:00 GMT on Friday. | |
| The earlier deadline of noon passed as the Guinean and Mauritanian presidents arrived in Banjul for last-ditch talks. | |
| Mr Jammeh's elected successor, Adama Barrow, was sworn in as president at a ceremony in Senegal on Thursday. | |
| Troops acting in support of President Barrow have paused their advance. | |
| The forces from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) regional grouping are backed by the United Nations. | |
| They crossed into The Gambia from Senegal on Thursday but have been told not to advance further until the talks have finished. | |
| Mr Barrow's legitimacy as president has been recognised internationally, after he won last month's elections. | Mr Barrow's legitimacy as president has been recognised internationally, after he won last month's elections. |
| Mr Jammeh remains at the state house in The Gambia's capital, where soldiers are calm, the BBC's Maxime Le Hegarat reports. | |
| Mr Jammeh's term expired at midnight on Wednesday - but, while still president, he engineered a parliamentary vote to extend his presidency. As Mr Barrow has already been sworn in, the country could be said to have two presidents. | |
| Guinea's President Alpha Conde and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived in Banjul on Friday morning for the talks with Mr Jammeh. | Guinea's President Alpha Conde and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived in Banjul on Friday morning for the talks with Mr Jammeh. |
| The chairman of the Ecowas commission, Marcel Alain de Souza, said that if the meeting with Mr Conde proved unsuccessful, military action would follow. | The chairman of the Ecowas commission, Marcel Alain de Souza, said that if the meeting with Mr Conde proved unsuccessful, military action would follow. |
| The end is near: By Thomas Fessy, BBC News, Banjul | The end is near: By Thomas Fessy, BBC News, Banjul |
| The presidents of Guinea and Mauritania have come to give Yahya Jammeh a final chance of a managed exit. | The presidents of Guinea and Mauritania have come to give Yahya Jammeh a final chance of a managed exit. |
| Mr Jammeh can walk out of the State House and leave the country peacefully, or West African troops will enter the capital to remove him from power. | Mr Jammeh can walk out of the State House and leave the country peacefully, or West African troops will enter the capital to remove him from power. |
| The streets of Banjul are still empty; shops and markets are still closed. There's an anxious wait here though people feel the end of this political crisis is near. | The streets of Banjul are still empty; shops and markets are still closed. There's an anxious wait here though people feel the end of this political crisis is near. |
| It now seems clear that the Gambian security forces will not defend Mr Jammeh, leaving him no other prospect than to end his 22-year rule. | |
| Regional powers are sending a strong message across the continent, that they stand ready to fight for democracy. | |
| Ecowas said that its forces had encountered no resistance after entering The Gambia. | Ecowas said that its forces had encountered no resistance after entering The Gambia. |
| The troops are from Senegal and other West African countries. | The troops are from Senegal and other West African countries. |
| Mr Barrow, who remains in Senegal, has said that he will not return to Gambia's capital, Banjul, until the military operation has ended. | Mr Barrow, who remains in Senegal, has said that he will not return to Gambia's capital, Banjul, until the military operation has ended. |
| The threat by the West African regional bloc Ecowas to remove Mr Jammeh by force is supported by the 15-member UN Security Council, although the council has stressed that a political solution should be the priority. | The threat by the West African regional bloc Ecowas to remove Mr Jammeh by force is supported by the 15-member UN Security Council, although the council has stressed that a political solution should be the priority. |
| A Senegalese army spokesman, Col Abdou Ndiaye, told the BBC that troops who were now in The Gambia were prepared to fight if necessary. | A Senegalese army spokesman, Col Abdou Ndiaye, told the BBC that troops who were now in The Gambia were prepared to fight if necessary. |
| "It is already war, if we find any resistance, we will fight it," he said, adding: "If there are people who are fighting for the former president, we will fight them." | "It is already war, if we find any resistance, we will fight it," he said, adding: "If there are people who are fighting for the former president, we will fight them." |
| But Col Ndiaye said the main goal of Ecowas was to restore democracy and to allow the newly-elected president to take power. | But Col Ndiaye said the main goal of Ecowas was to restore democracy and to allow the newly-elected president to take power. |
| Tourists have been evacuated from The Gambia and the UK's Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the West African country. | |
| In his inaugural speech at the Gambian embassy in Senegal's capital, Dakar, President Barrow ordered all members of The Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks. | In his inaugural speech at the Gambian embassy in Senegal's capital, Dakar, President Barrow ordered all members of The Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks. |
| Any found illegally bearing arms would be considered "rebels", he said. | Any found illegally bearing arms would be considered "rebels", he said. |
| Amid the crisis, the UN refugee agency reported that more than 45,000 people had fled The Gambia for Senegal so far this year. | Amid the crisis, the UN refugee agency reported that more than 45,000 people had fled The Gambia for Senegal so far this year. |
| More people could leave if the situation was not resolved, the UNHCR said. | More people could leave if the situation was not resolved, the UNHCR said. |
| Why is Mr Jammeh refusing to go? | Why is Mr Jammeh refusing to go? |
| After first accepting defeat in the election he reversed his position and said he would not step down. He declared a 90-day state of emergency, blaming irregularities in the electoral process. | After first accepting defeat in the election he reversed his position and said he would not step down. He declared a 90-day state of emergency, blaming irregularities in the electoral process. |
| The electoral commission accepted that some of its early results had contained errors but said they would not have affected Mr Barrow's win. | The electoral commission accepted that some of its early results had contained errors but said they would not have affected Mr Barrow's win. |
| Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held. | Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held. |
| Remaining in power would also give him protection against prosecution for alleged abuses committed during his rule. | Remaining in power would also give him protection against prosecution for alleged abuses committed during his rule. |