After the military coup in Gabon in Central Africa, the new ruler, General Brice Oligui Nguema, pledged to democratize state institutions. Their dissolution was “temporary,” Oligui said in a speech on state television on Friday. “It’s about reorganizing them to make them more democratic.”
Oligui accused the previous government of corruption and warned business leaders in the oil-rich state about “excessive billing.” Instead, they should work for the “development of the country,” Oligui said. He wants to ensure that overcharged money “flows back to the state”. The general last headed the Republican Guard and is considered very popular in the military.
Army justifies coup with ‘political crisis’
In Gabon, the army overthrew former president Ali Bongo Ondimba on Wednesday morning. The soldiers justified the coup with the “serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis” in the country. They accused Bongo of “irresponsible governance”. His government is corrupt and his re-election fraudulent.
Questionable choice
Shortly before, the National Electoral Authority had declared Bongo the winner of the presidential election, which had been overshadowed by allegations of fraud and irregularities. The 64-year-old received about 64 percent of the vote and could have run his third term. His family ruled Gabon for more than 55 years.
On Monday, General Oligui will be sworn in indefinitely as “interim president” at the country’s constitutional court. He has announced a new constitution and a new electoral system, but according to his own statements, he wants to implement the projects without “hasty”. He does not involve the opposition in his plans.
The opposition wants to have its say
It called on Oligui to return power to the civilian forces by allowing opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa to take over the government. According to official figures, he came second behind Bongo in the August 26 presidential election.
The African Union (AU) has condemned the military coup as a “flagrant violation” of the principles of the union of states and has therefore temporarily excluded Gabon. Many African and Western countries did not send ambassadors to a meeting between General Oligui and the diplomatic corps and the international organization on Friday, only lower-ranking diplomats.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in an interview published Friday evening with the newspaper ‘Le Figaro’ that the activities of the approximately 400 French soldiers permanently stationed in the former French colony as part of the bilateral military cooperation will be suspended until clarity comes. the political situation.
Minister: Overthrow is not the same as overthrow
Lecornu stated that France condemned any violent overthrow. However, the coup in Gabon cannot be compared to the military coup in Niger a month earlier. While the army overthrew a legitimate government there, the overthrow in Gabon came after presidential elections, the legitimacy of which was “questioned”, the minister stressed.
Source: Krone
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