ECOWAS Chair President Mahama visits Gambia


On his way back from a state visit to Germany, the Chairman of Ecowas, President John Mahama on Sunday stopped over in Gambia's capital, Banjul to show solidarity with Gambian leader, Yahyah Jammeh in respect of the  the recent attempted coup in the Gambia.
 
Accompanied by the Vice President of the Ecowas commission, Dr. Toga Gayewea Mcintosh, President Mahama said, his visit, though brief, was to show Ecowas solidarity with President Yahya Jammeh and the People of Gambia. 

President Mahama was received at the Banjul International Airport by the Gambian leader, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, hundreds of Ghanaians living in The Gambia, and Gambian nationals.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, the President said: "In the African tradition, if anything happens in your brother's house you have to go and visit and make sure that things are okay, and that is why I came.”

“You also know that our ECOWAS protocols do not support violent overthrow of governments, so we want to remind all member states of the protocols that ECOWAS has, that change of government must be through democratic means and as far as possible we should try and abide by that," he added.

The 2014 Gambian coup d'état attempt broke out during the night of 30 December 2014, when gunfire erupted in the Gambian capital of Banjul.

President Yahya Jammeh was outside the country, but soldiers loyal to him managed to foil the coup.
 
Two men were subsequently arrested in the US in connection with the coup attempt.


GBC