Travellers warned to avoid Gambia

Dutch travellers are being told to avoid the Gambian capital of Banjul after an attempted coup there. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands issued the travel warning for Banjul on Tuesday. Soldiers there have reportedly locked down much of the capital, and gunshots were heard at the presidential palace complex. Controversial Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is believed to be out of the country. The 49-year-old claims he is able to cure AIDS, and is criticised abroad on human rights issues. It is unclear if the coup was successful, according to Reuters, though government forces told AFP the coup was quashed. Jammeh rose to power amidst a coup two decades ago. Despite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying people should “Avoid Banjul,” they also state that the “tourist area around ‘Senegambia’ is calm.”