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3 of 3 events · 1965 – 1994

The Story of

Gambia

1965 – 1994

Sovereign state in West Africa

  1. Gambian republic referendum, 1965

    24 November 1965

    A referendum on becoming a republic was held in the Gambia on 24 November 1965. If the referendum had passed, the post of president would have replaced Elizabeth II as head of state, and thus eliminated the post of Governor-General.

  2. Gambian republic referendum, 1970

    20 April 1970

    A referendum on becoming a republic was held in the Gambia in April 1970. The changes resulted in the creation of the post of President to replace Elizabeth II as head of state, thus eliminating the post of Governor-General.

  3. 1994 Gambian coup d'état

    22 July 1994

    In the 1994 Gambian coup d'état, a group of soldiers led by 29-year-old Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh seized power in a coup d'état on the morning of 22 July, ousting Dawda Jawara, who had been President of The Gambia since it became a Republic in 1970. The coup plotters dissolved the government, arrested government members, and abolished the constitution.