Guinea Bissau Media Confirm Arrest Of Gambian Insurgents

Guinea Bissau media confirm our story earlier. The captured insurgents could also be Gambian soldiers on the run. Kairo news is keenly following the plight of the insurgents in Bissau. Below is the story by Odemocrata.

“A Gambian military fled from Banjul, capital of Gambia, was arrested by Guinea-Bissau authorities, following an alleged failed attempt coup, said today Lusa source of the Government.

The military, low-ranking, have been arrested on Wednesday in ingore, Guinean town 75 kilometers north of Bissau and near the border with Senegal, where the soldier Gambian would have entered.

The fate of the military was Bissau, but was captured when the authorities of Migration services and Guinean border searched his belongings having discovered that he was provided with a card Gambian army.

“How send the rules was detained for questioning in view of the situation there,” said the source of the ministry of Internal Affairs, referring to the alleged coup attempt to overthrow President Yaya Jammeh, allegedly by a faction of the Gambian army .

The military passed the first position of the border between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal (Gambia is a landlocked country in Senegal), in the towns of Mpack and Djeguê without being held because it has allegedly shown only your identity card , told Lusa sources of Guinean Migration services.

In ingore, however, their belongings were searched as with all passengers pass by there having been discovered his military card, being immediately arrested and taken to Bissau.

The attempt failed coup occurred Tuesday night to Wednesday. Yaya Jammeh President, who was visiting abroad, have you considered that the movement was supported “by foreign powers.”

http://www.odemocratagb.com/soldado-gambiano-detido-no-no

Dozens ‘Arrested’ After Foiled Gambia Coup

Several dozen military personnel and civilians were arrested, and a large cache of weapons and explosives were found following a reported coup attempt in The Gambia, an intelligence source said Thursday.

The suspects have been interrogated and were being held in “four villas” in or near the tiny west African nation’s capital Banjul, said a source close to Gambia’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Gambia’s strongman leader Yahya Jammeh, who was visiting Dubai at the time of the attack, blamed unidentified foreign dissidents and “terrorists” for the assault Tuesday on his presidential palace, and denied it was an attempt to unseat him.

“It is an attack by dissidents based in the US, Germany and UK,” Jammeh said in a televised address Wednesday. “This was not a coup. This was an attack by a terrorist group backed by some powers that I would not name.”

Jammeh insisted that the armed forces “are very loyal” and that only former soldiers, including a senior commander, had taken part in the attack on his palace.

“No force can take this place and nobody can destabilise this country,” he said. “Anybody who plans to attack this country, be ready, because you are going to die.”

A group of heavily armed men led by an army deserter attacked the presidential palace before dawn, but were repelled by forces loyal to Jammeh, who has ruled for 20 years since he seized power in a 1994 coup that ousted Gambia’s founding leader Sir Dawda Jawara.

Investigators have allegedly seized the plan laying out the attack, in which the three suspects, including the alleged ringleader were killed, according to a military officer.

One of the alleged conspirators also led authorities to “a large quantity of very sophisticated automatic weapons and explosives,” in a shipping container disguised as second-hand clothing at Banjul’s port, the source close to the NIA said.

Four officers suspected of participating in the attempt had taken refuge in the neighbouring west African nation of Guinea-Bissau, a military source told AFP.

– ‘Failure is unforgivable’ –

Jammeh returned home to his palace overnight Wednesday from Dubai where he had been on a private visit.

He claims to have foiled a succession of coup plots and has come under fire for serious human rights abuses, including repression of the media and the disappearance of rivals.

The United States said in response to the attack on the palace: “We strongly condemn any attempt to seize power through extraconstitutional means.”

Neighbouring Senegal “strongly” condemned the apparent coup attempt, which it said was undertaken “by a group of insurgents”.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for a probe of the failed takeover and also urged the government and security forces in Banjul to “act in full respect of human rights.”

A Dakar-based researcher, Gilles Yabi, warned Wednesday of a “major risk of repression extending beyond the military figures involved in the coup attempt”.

“There are fears the regime could take advantage of the situation by blaming people who had nothing to do with it.”

Bissau Will Not Extradite Gambia Coupists Unless…

General Biague Na Ntan

Kairo News has just confirmed that Guinea-Bissau authorities will not agree to extradite the alleged Gambian coupists under their custody unless the former’s national assembly legislates a law to that effect.

Guinea-Bissau’s military Chief of Staff, General Biague Na Ntan, has confirmed the presence of the four Gambian men in the country. For security reasons, Kairo News will not disclose the identities of the men for now. Three of the alleged coupists are currently held at Bissau’s military headquarters while the fourth one is at the border with Senegal. He is on the verge of being transported to Bissau for safety reasons.

Guinean authorities guarantee the security of the alleged Gambian coupists.

Gambian President who dashed Bissau with money and fleet of cars has reportedly sent a plane to extradite the men to the Gambia. This latest shift will no doubt deal a big blow to President Jammeh who has blamed some western powers for sponsoring what he called “terrorists” to bring down his government.

Kairo News will do its utmost best to keep its readers updated with developments whenever necessary.

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Gambia failed coup participants 'flee to Guinea-Bissau'

Bissau (AFP) - Four officers suspected of participating in a failed military coup against Gambia's strongman President Yahya Jammeh have taken refuge in Guinea-Bissau, a military source in the west African country told AFP on Thursday.

They "arrived Wednesday evening in Bissau and turned themselves in to the (military) authorities," the source in Bissau told AFP.

The source, who asked not to be identified, did not explain how the fugitives had reached Guinea-Bissau, which is to the south of Gambia, but separated by Senegal.

A group of heavily armed men led by an army deserter attacked the presidential palace in the Gambian capital Banjul before dawn on Tuesday, but were repelled by forces loyal to Jammeh, who has ruled for 20 years.

Jammeh returned overnight Wednesday from Dubai where he was on a private visit at the time of the putsch attempt.

Three suspects including the alleged ringleader identified as Lamin Sanneh were killed, according to a military officer.

According to a diplomatic source in Banjul, Jammeh appears to be preparing a purge of opponents, with "accusations flying".

"The names of military and civilian individuals are starting to be put on the table" at the feared National Intelligence Agency," the source said. "I'm afraid that innocent people are going to be caught up through denunciations."
http://news.yahoo.com/gambia-failed-coup-participants-flee-

US Had No Role In Gambia’s Coup

        Capt. Njaga Jagne and Col. Lamin Sanneh both lived in the US before they were killed in the Gambia

The United States had no role in an attempted coup in Gambia, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday, after local media and several analysts said some of the assailants were U.S. residents or dual nationals.

“The U.S. government had absolutely no role in the events that took place in Banjul,” the official told Reuters, adding that the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Banjul remained open. “Banjul is currently calm and we have no reports of violence,” the official added.

The State Department on Tuesday strongly condemned the attempted coup and called on parties to refrain from further violence.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Eric Beech)

Courtesy of www.reuters.com

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Gambia;s dictator Yahya Jammeh Accuses Foreign Powers of Backing coupists

                   Gambia;s dictator Yahya Jammeh

Gambian President has blamed unnamed foreign powers for backing dissidents who launched attack on the seat of government in the capital Banjul.

President Yahya Jammeh arrived home from a foreign trip on Wednesday. His loyal forces at State House on Tuesday killed some Gambians in a purported coup attempt.

“It was an attack by terrorist groups backed by some foreign powers which I will not name now,” Mr. Jammeh told national television upon arrival in the country. He said the Gambia had been attacked by dissidents based in the United States, Germany and Britain.

While Germany and Britain are yet to react to President Jammeh’s allegations, the United States had earlier condemned the coup and denied playing any role in the putsch.

“The U.S. government had absolutely no role in the events that took place in Banjul,” an official of the US told Reuters, saying “Banjul is currently calm and we have no reports of violence.”

President Jammeh said his government is expected to make public details of the attack, including the weapons being used by the coupists. Most of the coup plotters, except one, formerly served in the Gambia National Army. They were led by Lt. Col. Lamin S. Sanneh, a former Commander of State Guards until he had fallen apart with President Jammeh.

Gambians who speak to Kairo News blame the government for downplaying what they called “serious and scary development.” They are silently looking for answers from a government that merely asks them to go on their normal business without questioning.

U.N Security Council Statement on Gambia

 

New York, 31 December 2014

The Secretary-General is following closely developments in The Gambia.

He reiterates the United Nations principled condemnation of all attempts to seize power through unconstitutional means. Referring to reports that indicate that the situation in Banjul is calm, he calls for all parties to exercise restraint and to refrain from further violence.

Noting the seriousness of any attempt to overthrow governments by force, the Secretary-General encourages the establishment of a transparent investigation into the events of 30 December, in compliance with due process and respect for the rule of law. In that regard, he urges the Government of The Gambia, and its security and defense forces to act in full respect for human rights.

The United Nations will continue to closely monitor the situation.

http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8305