Coup Attempt in the Gambia Thwarted

The government of the Gambia was able to prevent a coup by members of the armed forces who sought to overthrow President Yahya Jammeh.

The Guardian reports that the coup was led by an army deserter named Lamin Sanneh. Sanneh and five other heavily armed men stormed the presidential compound in the Gambian capital of Banjul at 3 a.m. Three of the attackers, including Sanneh, were killed in the ensuing fire fight, which spread panic throughout the entire country.

The Independent reports that the government has increased security, establishing a number of checkpoints on the only bridge to the capital.

The Gambia's state radio station went completely off the air while state television was also disable, according to The Guardian. BBC says that Jammeh was out of the country at the time of the incident, with reports suggesting he was either in France or Dubai.

One of the attackers is said to have been captured, but details are still sketchy. One Gambian diplomat said that some of the attackers were part of the presidential guard whose sole purpose is to protect the president.

The 49-year-old Jammeh came to power through a 1994 coup. Before the coup he was the head of the Gambia's military police. He has maintained his hold on power through fraudulent elections. He is accused of human rights abuses such as disappearing his political opponents, and sentencing gays to draconian prison terms.

He also claims that he can cure HIV/AIDS and he will be in power for, "a billion years," according to BBC.

The Gambia is a small country of around 2 million people. Its economy is based primarily on tourism and agriculture.