Gunfire Hits Gambian Capital

Residents and diplomats have reported heavy gunfire in Gambia's capital in the area of the city that contains the presidential palace. The armed attackers began shooting early Tuesday in Banjul, but the situation appeared calm by midday. President Yahya Jammeh was not in the country, though there were conflicting reports about his exact location. There was no confirmation of a coup attempt and no immediate statements by the government. Soldiers were restricting movement in and out of the capital, and residents of the city told VOA by phone they were staying home and not going to work. Gambia is a small former British colony surrounded by Senegal on both its northern and southern borders. Jammeh seized power in the small West African nation in a 1994 coup and has long faced criticism for his human rights record.



from Voice of America http://www.voanews.com/content/soldiers-lock-down-gambia-capital-after-overnight-shooting/2578619.html