West African nations halted a military operation in Gambia on Thursday to give a final chance to mediation efforts, but will resume at noon on Friday if Yahya Jammeh still refuses to hand over power to the new president.

The move came several hours after, Adama Barrow, Gambia's newly sworn-in president ordered the country's armed forces to abandon any loyalty to dictator Yahya Jammeh, as troops from neighbouring Senegal crossed the border to oust him.

Diplomats said regional heads of state will travel to Gambia to make a final attempt to persuade Mr Jammeh to step down.It was reported that they would consider an amnesty and allow Mr Jammeh to choose his country of exile.

Earlier in the day a force of more than 1,000 troops, mandated by the regional ECOWAS power bloc, crossed into Gambian territory after two days massing at the border.

Last night the Senegalese army spokesman Colonel Abdou Ndiaye confirmed the move over the Gambian frontier, although it was not clear whether they would head immediately to Banjul.