THE GAMBIA: MORE ON FAILED COUP ATTEMPT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000182

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PASS RAO, ODC, AND DAO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINS CASC ASEC GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: MORE ON FAILED COUP ATTEMPT

REF: A. BANJUL 178

B. BANJUL 177

C. STATE 45407 (TD-314/20413-06)

BANJUL 00000182 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Amidst ongoing calm and atmosphere of general
normality in the Gambian capital following the reportedly
aborted coup plot March 21, GOTG source claims that the
ringleader was spotted entering the Casamance region in
Senegal. In March 22-23 meetings, our Emergency Action
Committee (EAC) agreed that Embassy's current security
posture remains appropriate. The GOTG is keen to portray
itself as functioning normally, but President Jammeh himself
is maintaining a low profile. According to a well-informed
source, former National Intelligence Agency head and his
deputy may soon be released from custody for lack of evidence
of their involvement in coup plotting. However, we are also
told that the Mayor of Banjul suburb has been picked up; if
so, the number of current detainees would rise to ten. We
continue to believe that there was indeed a plot to
overthrow Jammeh, although the planning may not have been as
advanced as claimed by the GOTG. In any event, we do not/not
regard this incident as jeopardizing the country's stability
-- or its political calendar, including hosting the June/July
AU summit and holding presidential elections in October 2006.
END SUMMARY.

OVERVIEW
--------------


2. (SBU) As the dust begins to settle over the reportedly
aborted coup attempt the evening of March 21 (reftels),calm
continues to reign in the Banjul area and, to our knowledge
elsewhere in the country. The exception to the
business-as-usual atmosphere is the reinforced military and
police presence at the Denton Bridge security checkpoint on
the highway between Banjul and the suburbs, where vehicles
are being thoroughly searched. In their March 23 editions,
local journals led with the coup plot story, featuring photos
of the ringleader, former Chief of Defense Staff Lt Col Ndure
Cham, reportedly still at large. As this was being written,
GOTG source claimed to us that Cham had been spotted entering
the Casamance region of Senegal and that the GOTG had
requested GOS assistance in apprehending him. (NOTE: Rumors
swirl about Cham's status; according to one, he has been
secretly killed by authorities. END NOTE.)

SIPDIS


3. (SBU) In March 22-23 meetings, our Emergency Action
Committee (EAC) agreed that the mission's overall security
posture remained appropriate, that violence or disturbances
stemming from a thwarted overthrow attempt could not be ruled
out, and that continued careful monitoring of the situation
was in order. Various private Amcits expressed appreciation
to us for our warden message (refs a and b),but reported no
incidents.

GOTG'S POSTURE
--------------


4. (SBU) The GOTG is clearly intent on portraying itself as
functioning normally in the aftermath of an attempt against
its leadership. March 22-23 witnessed previously scheduled
GOTG events occurring as planned, e.g., funeral ceremony for
deceased National Assembly Deputy attended by various
ministers, and Information Minister's presiding over ceremony
publicizing the issuance of UNICEF's World Children's Report
2006 Sources report nothing amiss at military barracks in
the Banjul area, and we are told that the newly appointed
Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, Lt Col Peter Singhateh,
immediately returned to The Gambia from the UK, where he had
been on a training mission, to assume his post here.
(COMMENT: Indicative of the rumor mill's current intensity,
some had claimed that Singhateh's new appointment was a ploy
by President Jammeh to encourage the former's prompt return
in order to have him arrested for suspected complicity in the
plot. A knowledgeable source told us, however, that as of
March 23 Singhateh was at the office and busy familiarizing
himself with his new duties. END COMMENT.)


5. (C) However, Jammeh himself has maintained a low profile
since cutting short his visit to Mauritania the night of
March 21-22 and returning to Banjul. We are not aware of any
public appearances by him following his return; he himself
has issued no statements about a coup attempt, evidently

BANJUL 00000182 002.2 OF 002


relying on the GOTG's March 22 press release containing
assurances that all is under control (ref a). A
well-informed source told us that Jammeh was spending
considerable time conducting a post-mortem on the thwarted
coup plot with the newly appointed CHOD, Col Lang Tamba, and
acting National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director General
Harry Sambou.

OPPOSITION'S NON-REACTION
--------------


6. (SBU) The political opposition here has yet to react
publicly to this episode; normally opposition-leaning
journals have confined themselves to publishing the GOTG's
press release. We gather that opposition elements abroad are
among those alleging fabrication of a coup attempt by a GOTG
leadership seeking grounds to remove adversaries from
government ranks.

STATUS OF DETAINEES
--------------


7. (SBU) As for the detained former NIA Director General Daba
Marena, we have picked up reports that he and his deputy,
Kemo Balajo, are likely to be released from custody soon for
lack of evidence of their involvement in coup plotting.
There are also reports that the former Mayor of the Banjul
suburb of Kanifing and one-time close political ally of
Jammeh, Abdoulie Conteh, has been taken into custody on
suspicion of support for the reported overthrow attempt. By
our reckoning, his detention would bring to ten the number of
persons (most of them military officers) known to be in
custody for suspected involvement in the anti-Jammeh plotting
(ref a contains list of detainees).

COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) We continue to believe that there was indeed plotting
to overthrow Jammeh, notwithstanding ongoing speculation that
the GOTG leadership fabricated the incident. Of course, it is
possible that planning for a coup attempt was not as advanced
-- or the threat so imminent -- as the GOTG has claimed. In
any event, at this point, we do not regard the incident,
whatever the precise circumstances, as jeopardizing the
country's stability -- or the upcoming political calendar,
including the GOTG's hosting of the AU Summit or the October
2006 Presidential elections. END COMMENT.
STAFFORD