2023-09-02 15:34:00
Borders open once more Gabon’s military promises a return to democracy
9/2/2023 5:34 p.m
In Gabon, the military claims its coup is designed to make the country more democratic. The African Union is keeping its distance. France too – but its defense minister points out a difference to Niger, where the military also staged a coup.
After the coup in Gabon, the new military ruler promised to lead the country towards more democracy. The suspension of all state institutions is a temporary measure, said Brice Oligui Nguema on Saturday night on state television. “It’s regarding reorganizing them to make them more democratic,” Nguema said. However, Nguema did not announce any concrete steps or a timetable for new elections.
He does not include the opposition in his plans. This called on Oligui to return power to civilian forces by having the opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa take over the government. According to official figures, he came second behind Bongo in the August 26 presidential election.
A spokesman for the putschists, Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, announced that Gabon’s borders were reopened with immediate effect. The decision should send a signal that the new rulers have the “firm will” to “comply with our international obligations,” said Manfoumbi. After the coup d’état on August 30, the military initially closed all land, sea and air borders.
Considerable doubts regarding the election result
The military took power in the Central African country on Wednesday. Nguema, the head of the Presidential Guard, was appointed as the new ruler. Shortly before, according to official results, President Ali Bongo had been elected for a third term. Before the coup, serious doubts had been expressed as to whether the vote was free and fair. The Bongo family, which has ruled autocratically for more than 50 years, has long been accused of corruption.
Despite the country’s oil wealth, most of Gabon’s 2.3 million inhabitants live in poverty. The African Union (AU) suspended Gabon’s membership as a result of the coup and condemned the military takeover. The AU suspended Niger’s membership just a few weeks ago following the military took power there at the end of July. Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Sudan have also been suspended since coups in these countries.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in an interview with the newspaper “Le Figaro” published on Friday evening that the activities of around 400 French soldiers stationed permanently in Gabon as part of bilateral military cooperation would be suspended until the political situation clarified .
Lecornu stated that France condemned any violent overthrow. However, the coup in Gabon cannot be compared with the military coup in Niger a month earlier. While the army overthrew a legitimate government there, the overthrow in Gabon came following a presidential election whose legitimacy there were “doubts,” the minister stressed.
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