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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANJUL 000230 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DAKAR PASS RAO, DAO, AND ODC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS GA SG
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: GROWING TENSIONS WITH SENEGAL OVER 
FOILED COUP PLOT 
 
REF: A. BANJUL 227 
 
     ¶B. BANJUL 222 ET AL 
     ¶C. DAKAR 898 
     ¶D. BANJUL 190 
     ¶E. 03 BANJUL 314 ET AL 
     ¶F. BANJUL 190 (ALL NOTAL) 
 
BANJUL 00000230  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D) 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action message -- see para 10. 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (C) GOTG convoked diplomatic corps April 13 to protest 
GOS' alleged failure to cooperate with the Gambians' 
investigation into the coup plot thwarted March 21 as well. 
In a well-worn GOTG accusation, Gambian officials alleged 
that GOS permitted Gambian "renegades and dissidents" to 
operate freely in Senegal.  Among other grievances against 
the GOS voiced by the Gambians, they cited movement of 
Senegalese forces close to the Gambian border to "foment 
unrest" here during the August/October bilateral crisis over 
transport and border issues.  They reported the Gambian 
authorities' April 7 detention of a Senegalese "intelligence 
operative."  The Gambians ended the briefing with an appeal 
for international pressure on the GOS so as to compel its 
full cooperation with the GOTG's  investigation of the failed 
coup plot. We recommend that Department convoke Gambian 
Ambassador to reinforce Ambassador's message on imperative of 
GOTG pursuing its concerns with GOS through peaceful dialog; 
we also propose that Department reiterate our human rights 
concerns (e.g., treatment of detainees) over the GOTG's 
ongoing investigation of the foiled coup plot.  END SUMMARY. 
 
GOTG'S ANTI-GOS ALLEGATIONS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ref a reports the April 12 visit to Banjul by 
Senegalese Formin Gadio to deliver a message of "solidarity" 
from President Wade to President Jammeh following the coup 
plot thwarted here March 21 (ref b). The evening of April 13, 
the GOTG convoked the diplomatic corps to deliver a lengthy 
allegation of Senegalese misbehavior toward The Gambia, 
including, most recently, GOS failure to cooperate in the 
GOTG's ongoing investigation of the failed plot. Various 
senior GOTG officials were on hand, with Environment Minister 
Edward Singhateh and Attorney General Cheikh Tijan Hydara the 
principal briefers.  They explained that at an emergency GOTG 
cabinet meeting earlier that day, Jammeh had given 
instructions to convene the diplomatic corps to deliver its 
anti-GOS protest.  (NOTE: Following Senegalese Ambassador's 
recent recall, no Senegalese Embassy rep attended the 
briefing. END NOTE.) 
 
THE GOTG'S BILL OF PARTICULARS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) The GOTG Ministers asserted that Senegalese meddling 
in Gambian internal security matters was not new; they spoke 
of longstanding GOS practice of granting  refuge to Gambian 
"renegades and dissidents,"  e.g., figures involved in 
previously failed coup plots such as notorious rebel Kukoi 
Samba Sanyang and followers, and permitting them to operate 
freely.  The Ministers asserted that, over the years, the 
GOTG had repeatedly requested GOS assistance in countering 
these nefarious elements by extraditing or simply expelling 
them, but Senegalese authorities had always been 
unresponsive.   By contrast, the GOTG officials asserted, 
when the GOS itself requested similar assistance -- e.g., 
handing over Casamance rebel elements entering  Gambian 
territory -- the GOTG invariably complied. (COMMENT: The 
Ministers exaggerated the extent of responsiveness to the GOS 
on this score; we note, per ref, GOS irritation at GOTG's 
failure in summer 2005 to hand over rebel fighters. END 
COMMENT) 
 
¶5. (SBU) In reciting their list of grievances, the Gambian 
officials mentioned the August/October 2005 dispute with 
Senegal over border and transport issues, accusing the GOS of 
moving troops closer to the border with The Gambia during 
that period of severe bilateral strain in an attempt to 
"create unrest" in this country.  They went on to cite  the 
December 2004 assassination here of prominent journalist 
Deyda Hydara, alleging that the GOS, maintaining its 
uncooperative stance toward Gambian security forces, denied 
GOTG investigators access to principal witnesses to the 
 
BANJUL 00000230  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
murder (i.e., the two female colleagues of Hydara wounded in 
the attack on Hydara and taken to Dakar following the 
incident for medical treatment). 
 
THE FAILED COUP PLOT 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Turning to the failed coup plot,the Gambians claimed 
that ringleader Lt Col Ndure Cham remained in the Casamance 
region and that both the GOTG and GOS knew his precise 
location, but that Senegalese authorities had so far declined 
to detain and hand him over to the GOTG. National 
Intelligence Agency head Harry Sambou, on hand for the 
briefing, chimed in that radio stations in the Casamance had 
recently aired an interview with Cham at his hiding place. 
Referring to Formin Gadio's April 12 visit here, the GOTG 
officials said Jammeh had pressed not only for the GOS to 
pick up Cham, but also to reveal to the GOTG the full extent 
of its knowledge and actions surrounding the aborted 
overthrow attempt.  Ambassador asked if the GOTG had hard 
evidence of GOS complicity in the plot; the Gambians 
responded that their evidence was so far limited to the 
assertions of Senegalese involvement contained in detainees' 
confessions (ref d) and that, hence, "a full explanation" by 
the GOS was imperative. 
 
DETENTION OF GOS INTELLIGENCE OFFICER 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU)  In what they portrayed as the latest example of GOS 
meddling in national security matters here, the GOTG 
Ministers stated that on April 7 Gambian authorities had 
detained at Banjul airport a "Senegalese intelligence 
operative," identified as Frederick Napel, possessing various 
false identification cards.  Under questioning, the latter 
had claimed that he was in Banjul to meet a person coming 
from Paris, the daughter of Casamance rebel figure Salif 
Sadio, but Gambian investigators determined that his story 
lacked credibility and were continuing to question him in 
order to determine his true mission here. 
 
APPEAL FOR PRESSURE ON GOS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU)  The Gambians ended the briefing with an appeal for 
international pressure on the GOS so as to compel it to 
cooperate fully with the GOTG's investigation into the failed 
coup plot and cease meddling in internal security matters 
here.  When Ambassador mentioned  imperative of GOTG's 
pursuing its concerns with GOS through peaceful dialog, the 
GOTG officials gave assurances of the GOTG leadership's 
commitment to doing so.   Ambassador asked if the GOTG 
intended to take its concerns to the UN, African Union, 
ECOWAS, or another international or regional organization; 
the GOTG Ministers responded vaguely that the GOTG would 
consider "all avenues" for its "diplomatic campaign." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
9.(C) The GOTG's initiative to convoke the diplomatic corps 
underscores its growing irritation over a suspected 
Senegalese coverup in connection with the failed plot. 
Judging from their presentation, the Gambians regard a 
Senegalese coverup as in keeping with what they allege is a 
longstanding pattern of GOS stonewalling on GOTG requests for 
action against Gambian "renegades and dissidents" in Senegal. 
 We note, in this respect, that in the past -- e.g., in 
March/April 2003 (ref e) -- Jammeh has alleged efforts by 
Wade and his government to destabilize the GOTG, and Gambian 
officials have long complained about GOS' perceived harboring 
of radical dissidents allegedly bent on overthrowing Jammeh. 
In his recent letter to President Bush alleging Dakar's 
involvement in the failed coup plot (ref f) Jammeh refrained 
from requesting USG action; now, the GOTG is calling for 
international pressure on the GOS. 
 
ACTION REQUEST 
-------------- 
 
¶10. (C) We  recommend that Department reinforce Ambassador's 
demarches here by calling in the Gambian Ambassador to 
reinforce call on the GOTG to exercise restraint and work to 
resolve its concerns with the GOS through peaceful dialog. 
We also propose that Department reiterate our human rights 
concerns (e.g., treatment of detainees) over the GOTG's 
 
BANJUL 00000230  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
ongoing investigation of the foiled coup plot. 
 
 
STAFFORD