A Gambian court has sentenced a soldier to 12 years in prison for plotting a coup in the West African country which has restored democracy after 22 years of dictatorship.
The court found lance corporal Sanna Fadera guilty of treason on Tuesday, according to a judgement seen by AFP on Wednesday.
While the region has faced a series of military coups since 2020, Gambia has undergone a re-establishment of democracy.
Former dictator Yahya Jammeh held sway over the tiny state for 22 years until he was unexpectedly defeated in presidential elections in December 2016 by political newcomer Adama Barrow.
The court judgment said Fadera -- who denied the charges -- had wanted to involve several low-ranking soldiers, an officer and some civilians.
Out of around 10 people initially questioned last December, four were charged and went on trial.
Three of those were acquitted on Tuesday on the charge of not reporting what Fadera was planning.
According to the judgment, Fadera was a disgruntled navy laboratory technician, who said he wanted to bring the people out onto the streets to support him.
It said that during the planning he had consulted a marabout, or religious leader, in both Gambia and Mali.
The judge, in his sentencing, said, "There was no violence employed in the commission of the offence," and took into consideration the defendant's young age, which was not given, and lack of previous convictions.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Objectives:
The objective of this text is to discuss the sentencing of Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera for plotting a coup in Gambia and to explain the context of military coups in the West African region. Current State-of-the Art and Limitations:
The current understanding of the situation is that Gambia has recently undergone a re-establishment of democracy after 22 years of dictatorship and that the region has faced a series of military coups since 2020. The limitation of this understanding is that the motives behind the attempted coup are not fully known.
Whats New in the Approach and Why it Will Succeed:
This approach is new in that it provides a detailed look into the specifics of the attempted coup plot and the sentencing of the accused, Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera. This approach is likely to succeed as it provides an in-depth look into the situation which may help to prevent similar attempts from occurring in the future.
Target Audience and Impact:
The target audience of this text is people interested in the politics of the West African region and the impact of this text is to provide a better understanding of the potential risks associated with attempted coups in the region.
Risks Involved:
The risks involved with pursuing this approach are that the motives behind the attempted coup may not be fully understood or that similar attempts at coups may occur in the future.
Cost of Pursuing this Approach:
The cost of pursuing this approach is unclear as it is not a tangible project.Timeline for Achieving Results:
The timeline for achieving results is also unclear as it is not a tangible project.Mid-term and Final
Success Metrics:
The mid-term and final success metrics of this approach are not known as it is not a tangible project.
Score for Ability to Interest DARPA: 0/10
