The july 1994 coup d’etat in the gambia: The end of an era?

The Round Table

Volumn 84, Issue 333, 1995, Pages 53-65

  Wiseman, John A ^a   Vidler, Elizabeth ^a  

^a NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DEMOCRACY; MILITARY COUP;

GAMBIA;

EID: 0028848673     PISSN: 00358533     EISSN: 1474029x     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00358539508454237     Document Type: Article

References (10)

1. For a discussion of the survival of multiparty democracy in The Gambia see John A. Wiseman, Democracy in Black Africa: Survival and Revival (New York, Paragon House, 1990), pp 51–64.
2. See Claude E. Welch, ‘The Organisation of African Unity and the promotion of human rights’, The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol 29, No 4, 1991, pp 535–555.
3. See for example, Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, ‘The Commonwealth and human rights’, The Round Table, No 321, 1992, pp 37-42. This article is based on a speech given by Jawara on the joint platform of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and the Commonwealth Trust.
4. For the fullest account of the 1981 coup attempt see, Arnold Hughes, ‘The attempted Gambian coup d’etat of 27 July 1981’ in Hughes (ed), The Gambia: Studies in Society and Politics (Birmingham University African Studies Series 3, 1991), pp 92–106. In his introduction to the volume Hughes shows remarkable prescience when he concludes by asking ‘in seeking to protect itself from further subversion by the creation, for the first time, of a regular army, has the Gambian government created the instrument of its future overthrow?’ (p 5).
5. For a discussion of the Senegambian Confederation and its eventual dissolution see Arnold Hughes, ‘The collapse of the Senegambian Confederation’, Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, Vol 30, No 2, 1992, pp 200–222.
6. In 1993, The Point (Banjul), 8 November 1993, p 1, reported an address delivered by the Imam Ratib of the Dippakunda Central Mosque, condemning what he called ‘The big thieves of the nation’ who steal ‘millions of public money’. Following this in December 1993, Bishop Cleary, the Roman Catholic Bishop of The Gambia, made a well publicized speech attacking bribery, corruption, and what he called ‘the appalling lack of accountability for sizeable funds intended for human development’. He argued that although financial scandal ‘is becoming very prevalent in this country at all levels of society··· the big fish are getting away and the small fry are being caught'. The Daily Observer (Banjul), 8 December 1993, pp 1 and 14. The importance of religious leaders in raising public awareness of the shortcomings of the PPP regime has not been lost on Lt Jammeh. The day after the take-over he met with them, apparently to reassure them of his good intentions and his desire to appoint a government composed of men and women of ‘moral integrity'. Since then Jammeh has continued in his attempts to placate religious leaders. In August he announced the launching of a ‘morality purge’ during which prostitutes were rounded up and young men with long hair had their heads shaved. Also in August the planned extension of the curfew was immediately dropped when plans for a Muslim prayer festival were announced.
7. West Africa, No 4009, 1–7 August 1994, p 1348.
8. West Africa, No 4010, 8–14 August 1994, p 1388.
9. For more information on the Gambian economy see Steven Radelet, ‘Reform without revolt: the political economy of economic reform in The Gambia’, World Development, Vol 20, No 8, 1992, pp 1087–1099.
10. Political Activities (Suspension) Decree 1994 (Banjul, Government Printer, August 1994).