President of the Gambia toppled while in London

Leftist opponents of President Dawda Kairaba Jawara of the West African nation of The Gambia overthrew his regime while he was in London for the royal wedding.

Kukli Samba Sanyang, head of the banned Gambian Socialist Revolutionary Party , reportedly seized power from Sir Dawda, who has led the nation since it won independence from Britain in 1965. Diplomatic sources in Dakar, Senegal, reported fighting had occured in the Gambian capital of Banjul this morning and several people were killed. They said the coup was carried out by units of Gambia's paramilitary field force. Radio Gambia said the takeover was attributed to "unemployment, injustice, tribalism, nepotism, corruption."