SENEGALESE COMMENTS ON GAMBIAN COUP PLOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 000898 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, AF/RSA AND INR/AA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2016 TAGS: PREL PINS GA SG SUBJECT: SENEGALESE COMMENTS ON GAMBIAN COUP PLOT REF: BANJUL 222 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: DCM Robert P. Jackson for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) On March 30, President Abdoulaye Wade condemned the March 21 coup attempt in The Gambia. Wade told the Council of Ministers that "Senegal will never be a sanctuary for coup plotters." The Gambian Foreign Minister visited Dakar on April 7, and the next day the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement declaring that Senegal had nothing to do with the failed coup attempt and that cooperation at all levels continues to be close. ¶2. (C) COMMENT: Relations between Senegal and The Gambia had improved steadily since the border blockade last August that was sparked by a unilateral increase in ferry fares for crossing the Gambia River. The Gambia even detained and surrendered to Senegal a leader of the Movement of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MFDC). While the alleged leader of the putsch, former Gambian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Ndure Cham, may be in Senegal, Embassy Dakar doubts that Wade would attempt to unseat Jammeh at this juncture. END COMMENT. JACOBS