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A COUP ATTEMPT THWARTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GAMBIA

A COUP ATTEMPT THWARTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF GAMBIA
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By Renson Mwakandana

The government of The Gambia 🇬🇲 claims to have repelled a coup attempt. According to a statement, three accused collaborators and four troops had been apprehended.

President Adama Barrow, who was elected to a second term last year, was overthrown on Tuesday, although it is unclear exactly who was behind the plot.

The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow /Al Jazeera/

Due to its beaches and wildlife, The Gambia is a mostly stable nation in West Africa that attracts tourists. The capital, Banjul, remains calm, and daily life is unaffected. There haven’t been any reported gunshots, and there are no indications that loyalist soldiers have been sent to guard important locations.

However, according to the official announcement, military reservists have been activated. It stated that the issue is all under control. The army first disputed allegations of a coup attempt on Tuesday, claiming it had just conducted a “military drill.”

In a surprise win in the 2016 election, Mr. Barrow upset President Yahya Jammeh, who had held office for a long time. Although Mr. Jammeh was driven into exile in Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶, he continues to hold significant power in The Gambia, one of Africa’s tiniest nations.

Former Gambia President Yahya Jammeh /Al Jazeera/

After Mr. Barrow entered government, a large number of senior commanders quit the army. He has a history of mistrusting the military, which is why Senegalese soldiers are in charge of his personal protection while soldiers from Nigeria and Ghana are in charge of guarding the main international airport and sea port, respectively.

He has become unpopular with many Gambians as a result, who believe that by depending on foreign troops, he has compromised the nation’s sovereignty.

In addition, Mr. Barrow lost support after he founded the National People’s Party (NPP) to run in the 2017 election, breaking away from the United Democratic Party (UDP), which had helped him win the presidency in 2016.

When he declared an alliance with Mr. Jammeh’s former party, which was perceived as an effort to increase his prospects of winning a second term, his popularity further declined.

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