Gambia announces foiled coup attempt against president
Gambian President Adama Barrow was the first democratically elected since the end of the country's 22-year autocracy.
Here, in the capital Banjul, leaving the residence of the British ambassadors, September 12, 2022. © MUHAMADOU BITTAYE / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In The Gambia, the authorities announced on Wednesday December 21 that they had foiled an attempted military coup that had taken place the day before.
The Gambian armed forces say they have already arrested four soldiers accused of wanting to overthrow the presidency of Adama Barrow, three other accomplices are wanted.
Ongoing investigations should clarify the circumstances of the event, but the government wants to be reassuring.
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In a press release published on social networks, the
government spokesperson
invites his fellow citizens to
“go about their business normally
”.
There is "
no reason to panic
, he continues,
the situation is completely under control
".
A call for calm as the events surprised the population.
“
Here, nobody expected that
” confides a resident of Banjul, the capital, joined by RFI.
In
this West African country
, no information other than that shared by the authorities today has leaked.
Only rare testimonies that report
unusual "
movements ", "
soldiers
" seen around the presidential palace.
According to the government, among the four soldiers arrested, because suspected of being at the origin of this thwarted coup, two come from the navy.
They are currently collaborating with the authorities in the ongoing investigation.
A former minister under Jammeh interrogated
"
The Government of The Gambia announces that, on the basis of intelligence indicating that some Gambian Army soldiers were plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Adama Barrow, the High Command
(of the Gambia Armed Forces)
quickly mounted a military operation yesterday and arrested four soldiers
,” wrote in a statement posted on social media Ebrima G. Sankareh, government spokesperson and presidential adviser.
In the evening, the Gambian police said in another statement that they questioned Momodou Sabally, former minister of presidential affairs under the Jammeh regime, after the release of a video which suggests that the president will be overthrown before the next local elections.
Fragile democratic regime after 22 years of dictatorship
It would be the last attempted coup in West Africa since 2020, after two successful putsches in Mali and Burkina Faso and another in Guinea, and an attempted fait accompli in Guinea-Bissau.
The series is of deep concern to West African leaders, who face a host of challenges – from poverty to the spread of jihadism – compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
With this event, observers fear a destabilization of the fragile democratic regime in a region plagued by numerous putschs.
In 2017, the election of Adama Barrow, ended 22 years of
autocratic rule led by Yahya Jammeh
.
The president was then re-
elected for a second term on December 5, 2021
.
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Gambia
Adama Barrow
Yahya Jammeh