Prez Mahama solidarises with Gambian President over coup attempt (PHOTOS)

President John Mahama Sunday travelled to Gambia to express solidarity with the President and people of the country following a failed coup d’etat in December 2014.

President Mahama, who was there in his capacity as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, held a closed-door discussion with President Yahya AJJ Jammeh at the Coco Ocean Resort and Spa in Bijilo, Gambia.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, the President said: "In the African tradition, if anything happens in your brother's house you have to go and visit and make sure that things are okay, and that is why I came.”

“You also know that our ECOWAS protocols do not support violent overthrow of governments, so we want to remind all member states of the protocols that ECOWAS has, that change of government must be through democratic means and as far as possible we should try and abide by that," he added.

The 2014 Gambian coup d'état attempt broke out during the night of 30 December 2014, when gunfire erupted in the Gambian capital of Banjul.

President Yahya AJJ Jammeh was outside the country, but soldiers loyal to him managed to foil the coup. 

Two men were subsequently arrested in the US in connection with the coup attempt.