How Yahya Jammeh Overthrew Jawara

I was working with the European Union (EU) Delegation at the time as the Projects Accountant in charge of all EU-funded projects in The Gambia. Sir Dauda Jawara was the President of the country and he had been the President since the country gained its independence in 1965. Then on one Friday morning, 22^nd July 1994, around 8.15am, as I looked through our office window, I saw a blue American Chevrolet Saloon car with the American Flag flying, zoomed past the street in front of our office heading towards the Presidential Residence in Banjul. Some 30 or 40 minutes later the same car zoomed past the same street, this time heading backwards towards the Banjul Port. Meanwhile, Radio Gambia had announced a day earlier that an American warship the “USS La Moure County” was paying a courtesy call to The Gambia and the sailors would be conducting a military exercise with The Gambian Army so people should not panic. In my own thinking, even though I am not a security expert nor a political analyst, I believe this was a ploy to disabuse the minds of people so they would not think deeply about the next day's coup d’état .

Some 30 minutes later, we heard rumours that some Gambian soldiers who had returned from ECOMOG Peace Keeping duties in Liberia were marching from their barracks in Yundum towards Banjul to protest against their unpaid allowances. I looked through the office window and I saw that the Presidential Guard had taken position on top of the National Police Headquarters and the Central Bank Building. They had also set up a barricade to block the street right in front of our office.  I immediately assessed the situation and I knew from experience, that there was a coup in the making. At that time both Mr. Collingwood, the EU Delegate and Mr Rudd, his deputy were out of the country so one Mr. Mariani, an Italian who had joined the Delegation a year or so earlier was in the charge of the office. I went to him and told him that there was a coup in progress so he should close down the office to allow everybody to go home. “Oh, Boateng, you are an afraid man.” Didn't you hear the news yesterday that there was going to be a military exercise between the US Navy and the Gambian army today?”. “Mr. Mariani, I heard the news but this is more than a military exercise. Haven't you seen that the Presidential Guard has taken position awaiting the arrival of the rebellious soldiers?” I replied. “Boateng if you are afraid, you can go home?” I locked up my drawer and asked Janet Davies, my colleague to join me but she kept on laughing at me. “Boateng, you are an afraid man”.  The reason why I left was that the EU office was in direct firing line from three directions so any exchange of fire was going to have direct impact on our building.

As soon as I got home, I gave money to my sons to go and buy rice, sugar, milk and other provisions that could last us for at least 2 weeks and I stored the items in my bedroom. Some 30 minutes later, Janet called me from the office. “Mr. Boateng, they are shooting, they are shooting. Mr. Mariani is shouting at everybody to lie down and the bullets have shattered one of our office window's glasses”. Apparently, when Yahya Jammeh and his soldiers reached the Central Bank building, they fired some rounds as warning shots and luckily enough, the Presidential Guard refused to fight so they surrendered and Jammeh and his Boys took over the reigns of Government as word went round that President Jawara had fled the country.

Around 1pm, The Gambia National Radio announced that President Jawara and his government had been overthrown by a group of Gambia Army officers led by one Colonel Yahya Jammeh and that all political party activities had been banned and Parliament had been dissolved. At BBC Focus on Africa Programme on that fateful Friday, 22^nd July 1994, it was announced that President Jawara's government had been overthrown in a coup d'etat. That, the coup was carried out by some young Gambian soldiers led by one lieutenant Yahya Jammeh with the other officers being, Hydara, Sabally and Singateh. The coup ended President Jawara's almost 29 years reign from 18^th February 1965. The BBC announced that President Jawara and his family had taken refuge on board the visiting American Warship which was on its way to Senegal. What a strange co-incidence!

The next Monday when we got back to the office, almost everybody kept asking me how I got to know that the soldiers were staging a coup that Friday. My answer to them was that, “Old soldiers don't die. I come from Ghana and I have witnessed several coups so I can easily recognize one in the making”.

By K. Adom-Boateng