The president of The Gambia says he remains in charge of the West African state after his security forces thwarted an attempted coup. Yahya Jammeh said an ex-army commander tried to take control of the country while he was visiting France. His current whereabouts are unclear. Heavy gunfire had earlier erupted near the presidential palace in the capital. Mr Jammeh seized power in a coup in 1994 and his critics accuse him of ruling with an iron-hand. Diplomatic and military sources said soldiers from the presidential guard appeared to have mounted the attack on the presidential palace in Banjul in the early hours of Tuesday. The government denied there had been an attempted coup in a statement broadcast on state radio. Missing president However, Mr Jammeh later acknowledged the attack and said forces loyal to Lamin Sanneh - who he called a disgraced former soldier - had invaded The Gambia from Senegal in an attempt to overthrow its legitimate government. m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30632515
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:01:54 +0000