Lang Tombong Tamba contributes to 1994 Coup – Touray

By Ismaila Sonko

Tijan Touray the former body Guard to the Sir Dawda Jawara has said that the former CDS Lang Tombong Tamba contributed to the success of the 1994 Coup which was led by the former President Yahya Jammeh.

Mr. Touray makes this statement during his testimony to the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission through the Skype conversion with the TRRC Legal Counsel team from United Kingdom (UK) on Wednesday.

Continuing his testimony   Touray said he travelled with former President Sir Dawda Jawara to UK with Lamin Kaba Bajo  and  Demba Njie ,while in UK ,Lang Tombong Tamba, then commander of the State House,  called Lamin Kaba Bajo to inform him that there is a coup attempt in the country and after   few minutes Demba Njie brought the information that situation in the Gambia is in control.

Mr. Touray noted that through his observation he knows that there are soldiers that wanted to take over the State House and Lang Tombong Tamba was among those rebels because I will not call them soldiers.

Explaining the factors that led to the 1994 Coup in the Gambia, Mr Touray said Jammeh and his team accused the Jawara government of rampant corruption.

He added that Sir Dawda never seek a political asylum with the Senegal government but he was with the  believed that the American will stop Jammeh and the team if they refused they will boom the Denton Bridge but that never happened until Jawara left Senegal for UK.

He explain that Sir Dawda Jawara face lots of difficulty in Senegal because Senegalese Army’s did not give him the chance to talk to their then President Abdou Diop is only Bakary Bunja Darboe who have access to see Abdou Diop and for him he did not make any effort that will indicate that Jawara will able to see Senegal President Diop to settle the situation before moving to United Kingdom.