Is the list of military coups being extended?, Another African country is in trouble, Niger's situation is not peaceful, coup | Africa | military coup
The military coup in Niger has not yet subsided, and another African country has experienced an accident. On August 30th local time, the situation in Gabon suddenly changed: some soldiers claimed to have seized power and placed the current president under house arrest, and later appointed transitional leaders. This coup is only a few minutes away from the outcome of the country's general election.
This is the 8th coup in central and western Africa in three years, which has attracted international attention and concerns that the regional situation will further become unstable.
The upheaval is just a few minutes away
According to reports from Xinhua News Agency, CCTV, and Global Times, the coup in Gabon seems to be related to the results of the presidential election.
On the early morning of the 30th, the Gabonese National Election Commission announced that current President Bongo was re elected with 64.27% of the vote in the presidential election held on the 26th.
Unexpectedly, just minutes after the announcement of the election results, gunshots were heard in the center of the capital city of Libreville.
It is reported that more than ten military personnel have issued a statement under the name of the "Institutional Transition and Restoration Committee", claiming that the election results are invalid and that they have gained power, dissolved state organs, and closed the country's borders.
Afterwards, the Institutional Transition and Recovery Committee issued a statement on national television stating that Bongo had been placed under house arrest, accompanied by his family and doctors.
Nur Din Bongo Valentine, the son of Bongo, and several high-ranking officials from the Presidential Office were arrested for "treason" and "embezzlement of public funds".
On the same day, there was no response from the Gabonese Presidential Office and government initially after news of some military personnel seizing power.
Later, Bongo made his first public statement by releasing a video to the media through the Presidential Office.
In this 50 second video of the treaty, Bongo did not use the official language of Gabon, French, but said in English that he is currently in his residence and his wife and children are elsewhere.
"Nothing has happened so far, I don't know what happened," he called on all sectors to speak up.
Later that day, the commander of the Gabonese Republican Guard, Brice Olivier Nguema, told the French newspaper Le Monde that Bongo had "been placed in retirement.".
On the afternoon of the 30th, Gabon's spokesperson for the Institutional Transition and Recovery Commission, Manfubi, announced on national television that Nguema has been appointed as the chairman and transitional leader of the commission. But it did not specify the duration of the transition period.
Mangfubi also said to maintain a curfew from 6pm to 6am the next day.
In fact, the controversy surrounding the Gabonese election has long been revealed.
Previously, opposition presidential candidate Osama claimed that there was fraudulent behavior in the election on the 26th and demanded to declare himself the winner.
According to the results announced by the Gabonese National Election Commission, Osa received only 30.77% of the vote. The opposition also called for Bongo to transfer power.
Bongo, who is currently 64 years old, has served as Gabon's Minister of Defense and other positions.
In 2009, his father Omar Bongo Ondimba passed away after 42 years in power in Gabon. Bongo was elected president the same year and was re elected in 2016. This victory means he will start his third presidential term.
This is not the first time Gabon has experienced political turmoil around Bongo's rule.
In 2016, Bongo's first re-election sparked violent clashes. In 2019, during Bongo's overseas recuperation period, a small group of soldiers launched an attempted military coup.
Attract attention from all parties
After the sudden military coup in Gabon, it immediately affected the nerves of all parties in the international community.
UN Secretary General Guterres issued a statement through a spokesperson on the 30th condemning the attempt to resolve the post election crisis in Gabon through a coup, urging all parties to exercise restraint, engage in dialogue, and ensure the personal safety of President Bongo and his family.
On the same day, African Union Commission Chairman Faki also issued a statement strongly condemning the coup and calling for the safety of Bongo and his family.
The African Union Peace and Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on August 31st to discuss the military takeover issue in Gabon.
On the same day, a spokesperson for the French government condemned the military coup and stated that they closely monitored the situation and hoped that the results of the Gabonese presidential election would be respected.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov stated on the 30th that the situation in Gabon is deeply concerning, and the Russian side is paying attention to the development of the situation.
In addition, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and others have also expressed concern about the development of the situation.
On the 30th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is closely monitoring the development of the situation in Gabon, calling for peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue, the restoration of normal order as soon as possible, ensuring the personal safety of President Bongo, and maintaining national peace, stability, and overall development.
The Chinese Embassy in Gabon has issued a consular reminder stating that the embassy has activated a major emergency response mechanism, reminding all Chinese citizens in Gabon to stay at home and not go out. In case of emergency, they should contact the embassy in a timely manner.
8 coups in the past 3 years
It is worth noting that this coup in Gabon is the 8th coup in three years in the central and western regions of Africa. On this growing list, there are already Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger
Corruption, poor governance, and poverty are often reasons given by coups, but there are also power struggles behind them.
Taking Gabon as an example, World Bank data shows that although this country located on the west coast of central Africa is one of the wealthiest countries in terms of per capita GDP, one-third of its population lives below the poverty line of $5.5 per day.
At the same time, since the restoration of a multi-party system in the Gabonese National Assembly in 1990, violent clashes have occurred in almost every election vote.
Although these coups have been condemned by the international community, they have not reversed reality.
Whether it is Mali, Burkina Faso, or Niger where a coup occurred at the end of last month, the coup soldiers have not surrendered their power and restored the positions of dismissed leaders. The outside world infers that the direction of the Gabonese coup may also follow a similar pattern, and the coup soldiers will not easily hand over power.
In addition to the aforementioned commonalities, the majority of African countries that have experienced coups in recent years are former French colonies. Gabon is no exception, as it gained independence from France in 1960.
Currently, France maintains complex and delicate relationships with these former colonies.
According to the website of the French Ministry of Defense, France has military presence in many former colonies and currently has 370 soldiers stationed in Gabon.
Earlier this year, French President Macron visited four African countries and his first stop was Gabon. This trip is also considered to boost Bongo's morale and provide political support before the August elections in Gabon.
Meanwhile, France also has its own interests in these former colonies rich in oil and gas resources. Gabon is known for its abundant oil and mineral resources. According to World Bank data, oil accounts for 60% of the country's revenue.
However, in the postcolonial era, France's influence declined day by day. These former colonies have gradually distanced themselves from the former feudal lords.
After the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, the military that took over the regime parted ways with France. The Niger coup soldiers also demanded the departure of the French ambassador.
Even Bongo, supported by Macron, is considered to have increasingly strained relations with Paris. Bongo released a video on the 30th expressing himself in English instead of the official language French, which is thought-provoking.
Therefore, in the face of these coups, France's response has become even more tense.
In addition, the outside world is also concerned that the consecutive coups in some African countries will exacerbate regional unrest, and it is not ruled out that there is a possibility of triggering imitations.
