Military officers arrested in Gambia after coup attempt

Two Gambian military officers have been apprehended for allegedly plotting to depose President Adama Barrow.

According to a statement issued by government spokesman Ebrima Sankareh on Monday, they were apprehended over the weekend.

Their arrest came after the earlier arrest of a group of soldiers who attempted to stage a mutiny.

“Two more soldiers…were arrested over the weekend and are helping investigators unearth allegations of plans to overthrow the Government”, Sankareh noted.

The officers include a second-lieutenant of the Gambian infantry, and a captain from the military intelligence and security unit.

They were arrested on Saturday and Sunday respectively; the search for other alleged plotters is ongoing.

A total of seven military personnel are in custody, according to the government.

Barrow has been President of the Gambia since 2017. He was reelected in December 2021.

Africa has witnessed a series of coup de tat since August 2020. The affected countries are Mali, Guinea, Sudan and Burkina Faso.

A coup was executed in Sudan in October 2021 after a failed attempt. The military reinstated civilian authority but remains actively involved in government.