Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh

Date: 22 July, 1994

On 22 July 1994 a bloodless military coup occurred in Gambia when five junior military officers led by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh overthrew the government of Sir Dawda Jawara. Reports claimed that young military officers who formed the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) said their intervention was triggered by the extensive and widespread corruption that overwhelmed the government of President Dawda Jawara.

Sir Dawda Jawara ruled the country for almost three decades and was accused of not enhancing the socio-economic development of the citizens.According to reports ‘transparency, accountability and back to the barracks’ was the first public slogan of the military government.

Surrounded by Senegal, Jawara benefited from their support for most of his rule to the extent that they suppressed an attempted military coup in 1981. However during the 1994 coup, Senegal decided not to interfere as Gambia, under Jawara, refused to enter into a monetary and economic union in 1989.

After he was overthrown, Jawara fled to the American warship, the USS La Moure County, which was paying a courtesy call to the country when the coup took place. Jammeh, one of the leaders of the coup who deposed Jawara, eventually became President of Gambia.

References:

Banjul A.J. (n.d.), ‘THE GAMBIA SINCE JULY 22ND 1994- A SPECIAL REPORT!!!’From Freedom Newspaper [online] Available at www.freedomnewspaper.com[Accessed: 16 June 2011]

President flees coup in Gambia(Online), available at: http://news.google.com

[Accessed 12 July 2010]

Gambian troops declare rule; president flees(Online), available at: http://news.google.com[Accessed 12 July 2010]

Gambia at 45: Reflections of our transformation 1965-2010(Online), available at: http://www.jollofnews.com

[Accessed 12 July 2010]