Military in Gabon Depose President Ali Bongo (France and Nigeria)
Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe
Modern Tokyo Times
President Ali Bongo of Gabon was deposed by army officers and put under immediate house arrest. After military officers took power, one said: “We have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime.”
The ousting of Bongo was announced on television. This development happened after Bongo was declared the winner of the national election.
France 24 reports: “The army’s intervention followed the announcement of the presidential election results, which confirmed Ali Bongo’s victory with almost 64.27% of the vote, against just over 30% for his main opponent, Albert Ondo Ossa. Many Gabonese feel that these results are skewed and that victory should have gone to the opposition candidate.”
Voice of America reports: “Bongo later appeared in a video calling on “friends of Gabon” to “make some noise” to support him. The 64-year-old president, seated in a chair, said he was at his residence and that his wife and son were in other places.”
Naturally, France denounced the coup. However, with nations including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger seeking to curtail the role of France, then this might be detrimental to Bongo.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria (a country blighted by corruption, endless massacres against Christians, Islamic terrorism, ethnic bloodshed, and other ills) condemned the ousting of Bongo.
The leader of Nigeria declared that a “contagion of autocracy” is spreading across Africa.
The BBC reports (making the leader of Nigeria appear naive and untrustworthy) – “There has been simmering resentment of the Bongo family for years – it has ruled Gabon for 56 years, and there has been public discontent over broader issues such as the cost of living.”
Accordingly, crowds in Libreville (the capital) and throughout Gabon celebrated the ousting of Bongo.
Lee Jay Walker says, “Many nations that once were manipulated by political elites in France are now breaking free. Hence, the Russian flag is often seen positively, unlike the flag of France.”
The Guardian reports, “If successful, the coup would be the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020. The most recent one, in Niger, was in July, while the military has also seized power in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad.”
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