The EU and African organizations condemn the dismantled coup attempt in The Gambia

MADRID, 22 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The European Union, the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have condemned this Thursday the recently dismantled coup attempt in The Gambia, after the authorities announced the arrest of four soldiers who were preparing a riot

"The EU condemns the attempted coup in The Gambia and reaffirms its full support for the president, Adama Barrow," the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said in a message on his Twitter account. , who has stressed that "strengthening a democratic Gambia is in everyone's interest".

The Senegalese president, Macky Sall, who is rotating president of the AU, has "firmly" condemned the "attempt to destabilize the Gambian government." "The AU strongly rejects any armed takeover and shows its solidarity with the Gambian government," he said.

Along these lines, ECOWAS has shown in a statement its "dismay" and "astonishment" at "the news of an attempted coup in The Gambia." "The ECOWAS Commission strongly condemns the attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of The Gambia and underlines its total rejection of any unconstitutional change of government in any member state," he said.

In this sense, he has applauded "the leadership and staff of the Gambian security services for their respect for their constitutional role in dismantling this illegal plot" and has shown his "firm" support for the Government of The Gambia.

The Gambian Executive spokesman, Ebrima Sankareh, said on Wednesday that four soldiers had been arrested for their alleged role in a plot to overthrow the president, Adama Barrow, while noting that three other suspects remained on the run.

Hours later, Sankareh himself said in a second statement that those arrested are Sanna Fadera, a member of the Navy considered to be the leader of the plot; Mbarra Touray, from the 1st Infantry Battalion; Ebrahima Sanno, from the Military Police; and Gibril Darboe, from the Navy.

"The detained soldiers are helping the Military Police with their investigations," he said, before stressing that "investigations continue." "Citizens, residents and members of the diplomatic and consular corps are asked to continue their normal activities, since the situation is under full control and there is no need to panic," she concluded.

Barrow was sworn in in January for a second term after the Supreme Court rejected at the end of December the appeal filed by the main opposition candidate against the official results of the December 4, 2021 elections.

The president achieved re-election despite the fact that this meant breaking his promise to only be in office for three years -which were fulfilled in 2020-, after reaching a controversial alliance with the party of the former dictator Yahya Jamé and after some allies will leave his side to compete against him.

The president, who won the victory in December 2016 after presenting his candidacy as an independent with the support of groups opposed to Jamé, was sworn in in January 2017 after the dictator went into exile in Equatorial Guinea after rejecting its defeat at first, which led to a threat of military intervention by ECOWAS.