Senegal has asked the UN Security Council to authorise the West African ECOWAS bloc to take "all necessary measures" to ensure a transfer of power in The Gambia.
The Economic Community Of West African States has repeatedly called on leader Yahya Jammeh to respect the result of the December 1 election and step down after 22 years in power.
Senegal presented a draft resolution yesterday that would provide Security Council approval to any ECOWAS military action in The Gambia to force Jammeh to cede power to President-elect Adama Barrow.
The text, seen by AFP, calls on the council to give its "full support to the ECOWAS in its commitment to take all necessary measures to ensure the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia."
The council met behind closed doors to discuss the crisis over Jammeh's refusal to step down and renewed its demand that the leader hand over power on Thursday.
"As we speak, there are developments and last-ditch efforts to try to resolve this situation in a peaceful way," said Sweden's Ambassador Olof Skoog, who holds the council presidency.
The ambassador said a vote on the draft resolution "could happen quite soon" if those efforts fail.
Jammeh has declared a state of emergency as Barrow, who is currently in Senegal, maintained his inauguration will go ahead as planned on Thursday on Gambian soil.
UN envoy for West Africa Mohamed Ibn Chambas last week told the council that ECOWAS was prepared to ask the council to approve military action to force Jammeh to cede power.
The draft resolution states that "instability in The Gambia could pose a threat to international peace and security in the region".
The text requests that Jammeh "carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to President-elect Barrow by January 19."
The council threatens to "consider measures against him should he fail to do so", according to the draft.
Nigeria said it had moved 200 troops, fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters to Senegal as part of a regional force ready to move into Gambia.
Senegal put its troops on alert near the border with The Gambia, with an army spokesman saying that Jammeh faced a midnight deadline to hand over power.
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