West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network condemns coup attempt in The Gambia

The West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network is deeply concerned by the attempts by certain members of The Gambia Armed Forces to overthrow the constitutionally elected Government.

The Network, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said as a network of Civil Society Organisations committed to the peaceful, stable, and democratic development of the West African region, it categorically condemned the attempt to usurp the constitutional and democratic mandate of the people.

"….We join the million other voices of reason across the length and breadth of the ECOWAS region to express our strong dissatisfaction."

The statement said at a time when democracy was under threat across the region, with terrorist insurgency and unconstitutional changes of governments, the incident came as an affront to the consistent efforts aimed at restoring democracy, peace, and stability in the region.

The Network commended The Gambia Government for its swift response to neutralize the unscrupulous assault on democracy in country and urged it to observe due process and strictly uphold the rule of law in its subsequent investigations and sanctions to continue to live up to the challenge to serve and provide for the needs of all the citizens.

It called on the ECOWAS and member countries to hasten the revision of the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance to strengthen the necessary safeguards with respect to current challenges in the region, including presidential term limits, which had been a major source of unconstitutional changes of governments.

The Network urged that cross-border support for security and intelligence among member countries be strengthened to combat the rising insecurity and recurrent coups in the ECOWAS Sub-region.

"We stand in solidarity with the people of The Gambia in their hope and vision to transform the country into a haven of stability, freedom, and prosperity for all its people.”

"And it is our utmost desire to see the sovereignty and the agency of the people thrive in the spirit of democracy and constitutionalism."