By Joseph Hammond<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government of Gambia today has announced that an attempted coup in the country has been foiled. In a public statement, a release from the office of the president stated that \u201cbased on intelligence reports that some soldiers of the Gambian army were plotting to overthrow the democratically elected Government of President Adama Barrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four lower-ranking military personnel have been arrested, with at least three more being sought by Gambian authorities, according to statements released by the government in the last 48 hours. Among them Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera of the Gambian Navy was named as the apparent ringleader of the plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The announcement sent shock waves through a country that only emerged as a democracy in 2016. That year opposition leader Adama Barrow defeated former military commander Yahaya Jammeh who had ruled the country for 22 years before being forced from power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe still don\u2019t know what inspired, and we shouldn\u2019t jump to a conclusion until the authorities have had a chance to investigate,\u201d said Abdoulie Njai, a member of the Gambian National Assembly, in an interview with Zenger News, \u201csome have noted that the timing of this incident comes after Yahaya Jamme did a phone call with some supporters in which he vowed to once again rule the country \u2013 but again the timing may just be coincidental.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of the seven names released by the Gambian government linked to the plot, three had ties to the Gambian Navy including Fadera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n