Time for a coup again: this time Gabon

[joluoto]

Gabon: Military seizes power after reelection of Ali Bongo​

So Ali Bongo's third term seem to not happen. Gabon was not exactly a democracy, the Bongo clan has been in charge for 55 years. His dad Omar Bongo became President in 1967, and the family have run the country since then. The military tried to seize power before, in 2019, but failed. Despite being ruled by a single family under authoritarian rule, since the 1990s Gabon had become more open, and had at leat allowed the Opposition to participate and win influence, however they were barred from actually having any realistic chance of winning power. This has led to many riots in Libreville, especially in election season, and the opposition have always rejected the election results (and there is good reason to believe they were never free nor fair). However the military is not really believed to have any interests in democratize the nation, but rather introduce a military regime.

 

[Sweden]

Gabon: Military seizes power after reelection of Ali Bongo​

So Ali Bongo's third term seem to not happen. Gabon was not exactly a democracy, the Bongo clan has been in charge for 55 years. His dad Omar Bongo became President in 1967, and the family have run the country since then. The military tried to seize power before, in 2019, but failed. Despite being ruled by a single family under authoritarian rule, since the 1990s Gabon had become more open, and had at leat allowed the Opposition to participate and win influence, however they were barred from actually having any realistic chance of winning power. This has led to many riots in Libreville, especially in election season, and the opposition have always rejected the election results (and there is good reason to believe they were never free nor fair). However the military is not really believed to have any interests in democratize the nation, but rather introduce a military regime.

C'est l'Afrique - as people used to say in Zaire (now DRC) when I lived there some fifty years ago.

 

[Rumpelstil]

Not good for France

 

[Rumpelstil]

Gabon’s new transitional president: Army general sworn in to replace Ali Bongo​

 

[oneworld2]

According to one commentator I was listening to he stated that in one year the Bongos had squirreled away 18% of the countries income with only 25% going to the population. I wondered where the other 57 % went, some no doubt to the French treasury seeing as their currency is tied to the French central bank. The same is true of iirc 14 other ex French colonial states.

 

[beefheart]

It was long past time for the Bongo family to be ousted. Beautiful country, I'd like to go there sme time.

 

[VySky]

Have things changed much sine this nut job?

=============

Idi Amin (c. 1923–August 16, 2003), who became known as the "Butcher of Uganda" for his brutal, despotic rule as the President of Uganda in the 1970s, is perhaps the most notorious of Africa's post-independence dictators. Amin seized power in a military coup in 1971, ruled over Uganda for eight years, and imprisoned or killed at least 100,000 of his opponents. He was ousted in 1979 by Ugandan nationalists, after which he went into exile.

Biography of Idi Amin, Brutal Dictator of Uganda

Idi Amin Dada is perhaps the most notorious of Africa's post-independence dictators. Learn more about his rise to power and his oppressive regime.

www.thoughtco.com

 

[VySky]

It was long past time for the Bongo family to be ousted. Beautiful country, I'd like to go there sme time.

Mission trips go there annually. Maybe consider joining one.

We have been putting in wells.

 

[beefheart]

Mission trips go there annually. Maybe consider joining one.

We have been putting in wells.

I'm an atheist. And I can fly free to most of the world.

 

[VySky]

I'm an atheist. And I can fly free to most of the world.

I know.

 

[Juin]

According to one commentator I was listening to he stated that in one year the Bongos had squirreled away 18% of the countries income with only 25% going to the population. I wondered where the other 57 % went, some no doubt to the French treasury seeing as their currency is tied to the French central bank. The same is true of iirc 14 other ex French colonial states.

Something that bothers me is that the putchist General himself belongs to the Bongo clan. A cousin of Ali Bongo, as a matter of fact. It may turn out to be just a case of: meet your new boss, same as old boss. The only hope is that Gen Nguema, having opened the door, may have unleashed a fury that may make business as usual difficult

 

[samiam5211]

If African countries could get their stuff together, kick out all foreign influence and form something like the EU for Africa, it would probably be the dominant world power in a couple of decades.

They are still a long way from something like that being possible it seems.

 

[Juin]

If African countries could get their stuff together, kick out all foreign influence and form something like the EU for Africa, it would probably be the dominant world power in a couple of decades.

They are still a long way from something like that being possible it seems.

Its a learning process. Its always a learning process. What the first half century of African countries being independent has thought is that there is merit to the Reagan statement: trust, but verify. The right leaders must be selected. It is not enough that the leader is African. The likes of the Bongo clan, the Mobutu clan are enablers for foreign rapacity. They actually make neo colonialism more profitable than direct colonialism

 

[oneworld2]

Something that bothers me is that the putchist General himself belongs to the Bongo clan. A cousin of Ali Bongo, as a matter of fact. It may turn out to be just a case of: meet your new boss, same as old boss. The only hope is that Gen Nguema, having opened the door, may have unleashed a fury that may make business as usual difficult

Yep, the ties between the coupsters and the old regime are well known and I think the likes of France fear it less than some of the other coups in the region precisely for that reason. Hopefully, as you point out, the tide of discontent towards ongoing French neocolonialism will also include Gabon. You just hope it is done in as peaceful way as possible, but that might be optimistic.

 

[samiam5211]

Its a learning process. Its always a learning process. What the first half century of African countries being independent has thought is that there is merit to the Reagan statement: trust, but verify. The right leaders must be selected. It is not enough that the leader is African. The likes of the Bongo clan, the Mobutu clan are enablers for foreign rapacity. They actually make neo colonialism more profitable than direct colonialism

yea, they probably would have decades of wars within and between countries before anything similiar to the EU was possible. It only took Europe 1000 years or so to get to the EU.