The international community has expressed grave concern and deplored the soaring wave of military coups in Africa, as Gabon became the seventh African country to fall to a military coup in less than 3 years.
Africa Today News, New York had on Wednesday reported that Gabonese army officers, under the auspices of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, CTRI, yesterday, sacked President Ali Bongo, placed him under house arrest and took over power in the oil-rich Central African country.
According to a TV statement, the leaders of the coup in Gabon have named Republican Guard Chief, General Brice Oligui Nguema, as transitional president.
“General Oligui Nguema Brice was unanimously appointed chairman of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, chairman of the transition,” declared an officer in the presence of dozens of senior officers, according to the press release read out on Gabon 24.
With Gabon, there are now seven countries in Africa that have been ruled by the military in the past two years. The others are Niger, Chad, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Sudan.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the Commonwealth, the United States of America, Russia, and France all immediately expressed their regret for the coup as ousted Ali Bongo cried out for assistance.
While Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed “deep concern” about the situation in Gabon, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne stated her government was “following the events in Gabon with the greatest attention.”
China called for “all sides” in Gabon to guarantee the safety of Bongo, “resolve differences through dialogue, (and) restore normal order as soon as possible.”
The French mining group, Eramet, which employs 8,000 people in Gabon, said it had halted activities in the country “for the safety of staff and the security of operations.”
UN chief condemns Gabon military coup — Spokesman
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, condemned the military takeover in Gabon, following elections, his spokesman said.
Guterres “firmly condemns the ongoing coup attempt as a means to resolve the post-electoral crisis” and reaffirms “his strong opposition to military coups,” said spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Situation in Gabon, a big issue for Europe – EU’s Borrell
The European Union Foreign Policy Chief, Josep Borrell, said EU defence ministers would discuss the situation in Gabon.
Borrell added that if a coup was confirmed in Gabon, it would heap more instability on the region.
Read Also: Coup: Military Officers Seize Power In Gabon, Reject Election
Speaking at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo, Borrell said: “If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region.
“The whole area, starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon, it’s in a very difficult situation and certainly the ministers have to have a deep thought on what is going on there and how we can improve our policy in respect to these countries.
“This is a big issue for Europe.’’
African Union deplores coup in Gabon
The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, also said he “strongly condemns” what he described as an attempted coup in Gabon.
Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state announced earlier yesterday they had seized power, following disputed elections in what Faki also described as a “flagrant violation” of the legal and political instruments of the African Union.
US watching Gabon — White House
The United States equally said it was closely watching the situation in Gabon following a military coup.
“It’s deeply concerning. We are going to watch this closely, and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to support the idea of democratic ideals that are expressed by the African people,” said White House national security spokesman, John Kirby.
Commonwealth says Gabon coup ‘deeply concerning’
The Commonwealth voiced fears about the military coup in Gabon, which joined the grouping last year, saying it was monitoring the situation closely.
The Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, said the situation was “deeply concerning”, adding that “the Commonwealth Charter is clear that member states must uphold the rule of law and the principles of democracy at all times.”
Russia ‘deeply concerned’ – Kremlin
Similarly, the Kremlin said it was concerned by events in Gabon, where military officers announced they had deposed President Ali Bongo.
“We are deeply concerned about the situation in Gabon. We are closely following what is going on there,” Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said.
France condemns Gabon coup
France condemned the toppling of Ali Bongo, which could represent another setback for Paris in Africa where friendly governments have been falling in an “epidemic” of coups.
‘’France condemns the military coup that is under way in Gabon,” government spokesman, Olivier Veran, told reporters in Paris yesterday.
Veran said France was following events “with a lot of attention” and that it “reiterates its desire to see the results of the election respected,” referring to Saturday’s disputed presidential polls in the West African country.
Gabon’s electoral authority had announced earlier yesterday that Bongo, a French ally whose family has ruled oil-rich Gabon for 55 years, had won a third term with 64.27 per cent of the vote.
France has around 400 soldiers permanently deployed in the country for training and military support, including at a base in the capital, and has extensive economic ties to the country in the mining and oil sectors.
Colonial past
Paris has maintained a strong military presence in many of its former colonies in West Africa, as well as close business links which were promoted as part of a discredited post-colonial policy known as “Francafrique”.
Its past support for corrupt and authoritarian leaders has tarnished its image, while China and most recently Russia have worked to undercut its influence in an area where it was once the undisputed foreign power.
French President Emmanuel Macron lamented an “epidemic of putsches” during a speech to ambassadors on Monday.
The 45-year-old French leader visited Gabon in March for a forestry summit in a move that was interpreted by some opposition figures as signalling support for Bongo ahead of Saturday’s disputed presidential elections.
During a speech in the capital Libreville, Macron denied any French ambitions to interfere in Africa, saying that the age of “Francafrique” was “well over.”
However, a coup in Niger last month which overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, a close French ally, has led Macron to take a hard line with the new military regime which he has refused to recognise.
France has 1,500 troops stationed there and was banking on the country to serve as a cornerstone of its new military strategy for the Sahel region, where it is fighting against a growing jihadist insurgency by groups aligned with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
France intervened militarily to beat back advancing extremists in Mali in 2013 at the request of the country’s then-government.