Gabon witnessed many complicated developments after a group claiming to be a security and military force declared power.
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| Gabonese President Ali Bongo called on the international community to speak out against the coup in the country. (Source: AFP) |
On August 30, in a clip posted on social media, Gabonese President Ali Bongo, who is currently under house arrest following a military coup that same day, called on international “friends” to speak out. He said: “I am sending a message to all the friends we have around the world to condemn (...) those here who have arrested me and my family.”
Earlier in the day, Gabonese military officers said on national television that President Ali Bongo was under house arrest, hours after a group of senior officers announced they had seized power.
The African Union (AU) held an emergency meeting shortly after the coup. AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said he “strongly condemns” what he described as a coup in Gabon. Faki described the actions of the Gabonese forces as a “blatant violation” of the AU’s legal and political instruments.
On the same day, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "firmly condemned the attempted coup that took place as a means to resolve the post-election crisis" and reaffirmed his "strong opposition to military coups."
France , which has significant influence in Gabon, also spoke out immediately. During a meeting with ambassadors in Paris, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne affirmed that the country was closely following the situation in Gabon. Meanwhile, French government spokesman Olivier Veran said that Paris condemned the coup and wanted the results of the presidential election in Gabon to be respected.
On the same day, the French mining company Eramet in Gabon announced that it had “suspended” its operations “for the safety of its employees and the security of its projects, and is closely monitoring the situation in Gabon.” Eramet employs 8,000 people in Gabon, a West African country rich in oil and minerals. Eramet’s subsidiary in Gabon mines manganese ore from the Moanda mines, the world’s largest manganese mine. Manganese is a mineral used in the production of steel and batteries.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference, US National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator John Kirby stated: “The incident makes us extremely concerned. We will continue to support the people of this region, the people of Gabon and their need for democratic governance. We are closely monitoring this development.”
If successful, the Gabon incident would be the eighth coup in the West and Central African regions since 2020. Commenting on this issue, the NSC spokesperson shared: “I think it is too early to call this a trend.” He noted that Washington will “remain focused on efforts to promote democracy on the continent (Africa).”
Speaking to reporters, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "Moscow has received worrying information about the serious deterioration of the internal situation in this friendly African country. We continue to closely monitor developments and hope that the situation will quickly stabilize."
On the same day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated: “China is closely following the developments in Gabon. We call on all parties in Gabon to act based on the fundamental interests of the country and its people, resolve differences through dialogue, (and) restore normal order as soon as possible.”
At the same time, he called on all parties to “ensure the personal safety of President Bongo and maintain national peace and stability.”
In another development, sources said a South Korean who worked as a secretary to the First Lady of Gabon was arrested by the local military. According to the source, three other South Koreans who worked as security guards at the presidential palace are still in their rooms inside the security agency.
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