Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh said he was returning home from Chad late on Tuesday, after gunfire erupted around the presidential palace in the Gambian capital of Banjul last night.
The government denied reports of an attempted coup, but a diplomat said unknown gunmen had attacked Gambia’s State House. Although shooting had died down, a senior West African diplomat told that the gunmen controlled parts of the capital on Tuesday afternoon.
Jammeh was abroad when the violence broke out. He landed in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, late on Tuesday in a plane bearing the presidential emblem, then took off at around 2205 (2105 GMT) after a refuelling stop. He told Chadian officials he was returning home, a senior Chadian official told that “He is going back home,” but declined to be named.
Jammeh 49, himself took power in a coup 20 years ago till date. He has come under increasing criticism from abroad over issues ranging from human rights to his claims that he can cure AIDS.
“Contrary to rumours being circulated, peace and calm continue to prevail in The Gambia,” it said. “(The) government would like to urge the public and all businesses to continue with their normal activities.”
Gambia, a splinter of land wedged into Senegal, has ocean beaches that attract tourists, particularly during the northern hemisphere’s winter. They include about 60,000 Britons a year.
Meanwhile the British foreign office advised its citizens to stay indoors and avoid public gatherings.
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