The Gambian government has reportedly arrested two military officers in connection to an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Adama Barrow, according to The Daily Post.
“Two more soldiers linked to the alleged foiled coup plot were arrested over the weekend and are helping investigators unearth allegations of plans to overthrow the Government,” Ebrima Sankareh, the government’s spokesman said in a statement.
Last week, the Gambian authorities announced in a statement that they had detained four soldiers who tried to overthrow President Barrow’s government. It added that the army was trying to locate another three accomplices involved in the attempted coup.
The officers include a second-lieutenant of the Gambian infantry, and a captain from the military intelligence and security unit. The authorities arrested them over the weekend and are in search of other alleged plotters. The government has taken seven military personnel in custody so far.
Notably, coup attempts are not uncommon in The Gambia, a tiny West African country which is home to 2.5 million people and is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. The country is still reeling from more than two decades under former President Yahya Jammeh marked by authoritarianism and alleged abuses.
Barrow has been President of the Gambia since 2017 after he defeated long-serving President Yahya Jammeh in a shock election victory. He was re-elected in December 2021. Barrow’s win was expected to boost the country’s democracy, but there has been growing frustration with his government for its failure to address poverty and rising living costs.
Eight former Gambian soldiers, led by one of Jammeh’s former military aides, plotted to overthrow Barrow the year after he came to power. They were jailed in 2019 on treason and conspiracy charges, which they denied.
Africa has witnessed a series of coup de tat since August 2020. Mali, Guinea, Sudan and Burkina Faso have also witnessed coups in last few years.
