Two men have been charged in the United States with attempting to overthrow The Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh, the justice department has revealed.
According to the BBC,the two, who are of Gambian origin have been accused of conspiring against a friendly nation and conspiring to possess firearms.
[contextly_sidebar id=”QOIKbonw6M8aVCHAMzLFQviWNfrcXqEp”]Earlier reports indicated that an ex-army commander tried to take control of the country while he was visiting France.
Heavy gunfire was heard near the presidential palace in Banjul on December 31, 2014 but officials said the military takeover was thwarted.
Jammeh seized power in 1994 at the age of 29.He has been accused of stamping out opposition and claims to be able to cure HIV/AIDS.
In 2011, he told the BBC that he would rule for a billion years According to the BBC, Jammeh has won several elections since seizing power but critics say they were neither free nor fair.
Several officials and opposition leaders have fled the country because of Jammeh, saying they fear for their lives.
The US Justice department revealed in a statement that between 10 and 12 people had entered The Gambia to overthrow Mr Jammeh, “with the expectation that others in the country would join and assist them.”
They included US citizen Cherno Njie, 57, and US-Gambian dual national Papa Faal, 46, it said.
“These defendants stand accused of conspiring to carry out the violent overthrow of a foreign government, in violation of US law,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana