Despite the Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh still claiming to be the President, the African Union has stated it will cease to recognise Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh as the West African nation’s legitimate president as of Jan. 19, the date he is due to hand power to the winner of a December election-Adama Barrow.

After a meeting in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, AU’s Peace and Security Council issued a statement warning Jammeh of  “serious consequences in the event that his action causes any crisis that could lead to political disorder, humanitarian and human rights disaster, including loss of innocent lives and destruction of properties”.