Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL222
2006-04-10 17:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

THE GAMBIA: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FOLLOWING FOILED

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINS CASC ASEC PHUM KMCA GA SG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8302
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHJL #0222/01 1001719
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 101719Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6562
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUFGAID/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000222 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PASS RAO, DAO, AND ODC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS CASC ASEC PHUM KMCA GA SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FOLLOWING FOILED
COUP PLOT

REF: A. BANJUL 212 AND PREVIOUS

B. BANJUL 188

C. BANJUL 206

D. BANJUL 209

BANJUL 00000222 001.2 OF 002


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

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000222

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DAKAR PASS RAO, DAO, AND ODC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS CASC ASEC PHUM KMCA GA SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FOLLOWING FOILED
COUP PLOT

REF: A. BANJUL 212 AND PREVIOUS

B. BANJUL 188

C. BANJUL 206

D. BANJUL 209

BANJUL 00000222 001.2 OF 002


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

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


1. (C) President Jammeh continues his efforts to demonstrate
that he remains in charge and that the public is rallying
around him, while opposition parties issued a statement April
9 expressing doubt about the GOTG's capacity to "manage the
apparent crisis." There are signs of disarray at the
National Intelligence Agency. The number of detainees
currently held in connection with the failed coup plot is
about 25; rumors persist that the five reported escapees were
secretly executed. We continue to receive reports of abuse

SIPDIS
of detainees that amounts to torture. We are told of
Senegalese media report that GOS authorities have the coup
plot's ringleader in custody; Senegalese Foreign Minister
will reportedly visit Banjul "this week." Meanwhile, police
sources do not rule out the possibility of disorderly
demonstrations later this week to mark the sixth anniversary
of authorities' shooting student protestors. Sources portray
Jammeh as vengeful and determined to leave no stone unturned
in ferreting out anyone conceivably linked to the coup plot.
Ambassador will raise our concerns over detainees' treatment
and other issues -- including need for access to detained
Amcit Tamsir Jasseh -- in requested meeting with Jammeh. END
SUMMARY.

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


2. (SBU) As the dust settles over the thwarted March 21 coup
(ref a),President Jammeh continues his efforts to
demonstrate that he remains in charge and that the public is
rallying around him. On April 6, a delegation of National
Assembly deputies, led by Deputy Speaker Belinda Bidwell,

called on Jammeh "to pledge their allegiance," according to
media reports. (COMMENT: We believe that Bidwell also took
the occasion to register concern over the detained National
Assembly speaker Sheriff Diba; the reasons for his detention
remain unknown.) The media report that "tens of thousands"
of Gambians are expected to march through downtown Banjul on
April 15 to demonstrate their support for Jammeh.


3. (U ) Meanwhile, opposition parties continue to issue
statements on the incident; following their initial press
release March 26 (ref b),the leading opposition party, UDP,
and allied party, NRP, issued a second statement April 9
urging the GOTG to exercise "tact and caution" in responding
to the failed plot. Referring to the reported escape of
five detainees (ref c),the parties said this episode
contributed to doubts about the "capabilities of the
administration in managing the apparent crisis." They went
on to call on authorities to respect the rights of those
still detained in connection with the plot and, in
particular, to permit them access to family members and
lawyers. (NOTE: To our knowledge, none of the detainees,
military or civilian, has been allowed as yet to receive
visitors. END NOTE)

DISARRAY AT NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (NIA)
-------------- -


4. (C) Despite Jammeh's keenness to portray his government as
operating normally, there are signs of disarray at one key
agency, the NIA. Following the detention and reported escape
of former Director General Daba Marena (ref c),rumors
persist that his successor, Harry Sambou, will be replaced
soon; in meeting last week with visiting RAO/Dakar officers,
Sambou spoke of plans for a major restructuring of the
agency, but was vague on details. The Deputy Director
General position is vacant, following the detention of Ngorr
Secka after only two weeks or so following his appointment.
On April 10, the local press reported the dismissal and
detention of several additional NIA officials.

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


5. (C) By our reckoning, there remain about 25 persons
detained in connection with the failed plot, following last
week's releases (ref c); rumor has it that National Assembly
Speaker Sheriff Dibba will be released soon. There are also

BANJUL 00000222 002.2 OF 002


persistent rumors that, contrary to authorities' claim that
former NIA Director General Daba Marena and four other
detainees escaped, they were secretly executed. In April 10
conversation with Ambassador, Pap Saine, an Embassy contact
and Editor-in-Chief of the independent daily, "The Point,"
stated that he had no hard evidence of these rumored
executions, but would not rule them out. He pointed, in this
regard, to the lack of details (e.g., location of escape,
identities of escorting guards reportedly arrested for
permitting the escape) provided by authorities in their
report of the detainees' escape.


6. (C) We also continue to receive reports of detainees being
subjected to beatings and other forms of abuse. A
well-informed source claimed that former NIA Director General
Abdoulie Kujabi, military officer Capt Pierre Mendy, and
former senior GOTG official Alieu Jobe had all been beaten so
severely as to require hospitalization. He went on to
describe these beating and other forms of abuse (e.g., use of
lit candles to inflict burns) as "severe torture" designed in
part to extract confessions as well as to ensure docile
behavior by detainees. In April 9 conversation with Interior
Minister Baboucar Jatta, Ambassador registered deep concern
over the ongoing reports of mistreatment of detainees; Jatta
undertook to look into the matter, but stated that it was the
Presidential security force and other military elements, not
the regular police force under his control, that was
responsible for the interrogation of detainees.

THE SENEGALESE ANGLE
--------------


7. (C) Reflecting the failed coup plot's ongoing fallout on
Gambian/Senegalese ties, on April 10 the local media
reported Dakar's decision to "recall for consultations" its
Ambassador here, Ndiouga Ndiaye, as well as plans by the
Senegalese Foreign Minister to visit Banjul "this week."
Various sources have told us of a recent Senegalese media
report that Senegalese authorities have detained the plot's
ringleader, Lt Col Ndure Cham, in the Casamance, but will not
extradite him to The Gambia out of concern that he will be
executed.

ANNIVERSARY OF STUDENT KILLINGS
--------------


8. (C) Meanwhile, April 10 marks the sixth anniversary of a
2000 incident in which authorities fired on student
demonstrators, killing a dozen. While police sources report
that all is calm in Banjul on the anniversary date today,
they do not rule out the possibility of student
demonstrations occurring later this week -- perhaps amidst
the pro-Jammeh rally scheduled for April 15 reported above --
and becoming disorderly.

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


9. (C) Editor-in-Chief Saine and other sources portray Jammeh
as vengeful and determined to leave no stone unturned in
ferreting out anyone conceivably linked to the failed plot.
Authorities' continued refusal to grant families and others
access to detainees is troubling, as are the reports of
tortured detainees. Ambassador has repeated his request to
see Jammeh in order to stress our concerns. We assume the
Senegalese Foreign Minister's visit is designed first and
foremost to assuage Jammeh's concerns over alleged GOS
implication in the plot, as revealed in his recent message to
President Bush (ref d). END COMMENT.

.
STAFFORD