Nicholas Marshall, a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has revealed that the botched December 30 Gambia coup was planned in the United States (US).
Marshall presented a 22-page affidavit before a Minnesota district court, backing his claims that 57-year-old businessman, Cherno Njie planned the coup on US soil.
According to the affidavit made available to BBC, the group hoped to return the country to democracy through a bloodless coup, after being ruled by President Yahya Jammeh since 1994.
“The group’s plan for the coup was purportedly to restore democracy to The Gambia and to improve the lives of its people, they hoped they would be able to take over the country without having to kill any Gambians,” Marshall said.
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The affidavit also suggests that the group led by Njie had members of the Gambian military ready to support in the execution of the planned coup.
“They also expected to be joined by up to 160 members of the local Gambian military who supposedly agreed to participate in the coup,” he said.
“The group’s Operations Plan was stored online where only the members of the conspiracy could view it.”
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The group also conducted conference calls every other week in which they discussed their plans, which was hidden from members of their individual families.
Marshall added that Njie, a dual citizen of the US and The Gambia, was to be installed, as the new Gambian leader if the coup had succeeded.
He further emphasized that Njie and Faal have committed a federal crime for participating in a conspiracy to make an expedition from the United States against a friendly nation.
This, he added, was a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 and 924(0).
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Jammeh, who was out of the country when the coup plotters struck, reshuffled his cabinet on Monday.
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