UN Secretary-General Sends Envoy to Ease Tension

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
NEWS
July 2, 2002
Posted to the web July 2, 2002


UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has sent a special envoy to West Africa to
defuse tension over a claim by Guinea-Bissau's government that the
government of its neighbour, The Gambia, was behind coup plots against it.
The envoy, James Victor Gbehu, arrived on Monday in The Gambia and flew
to Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday.

President Kumba Yala had claimed during an 11 June meeting in the capital
Bissau with local and foreign dignitaries that his security forces had foiled
two coup attempts in December 2001 and May 2002. He threatened to
"crush" The Gambia militarily if its government continued "fomenting
subversion" against Guinea-Bissau.

The Gambia's president, Yahya Jammeh, and its foreign minister, Babucarr
Jagne, publicly denied any Gambian involvement in plots against Guinea-
Bissau and demanded a retraction of the allegation which they described as
"slanderous, baseless and evil-intentioned". However, there was no indication
that Guinea-Bissau had retracted its claim.

Gbehu met Jammeh on Monday, but neither gave details of their meeting.
The envoy told journalists he had an obligation to report first to the UN
Secretary-General on his meetings in Banjul and Bissau. However, he did
say that "as far as The Gambia is concerned, there is no proof of its
involvement in any scheme against the government of Guinea Bissau".

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