“France condemns the military coup that is underway in Gabon,” government spokesman Olivier Véran announced on Wednesday, adding that Paris is “monitoring developments in the situation very carefully.” “We recall our attachment to free and transparent electoral processes,” adds the Elysée.
On Wednesday, the Gabonese authorities had just announced the re-election of Ali Bongo with 64.27% of the vote when a group of a dozen soldiers appeared on the screens of the Gabon 24 television channel to announce that they were putting an “end to the regime in place”. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said in the process that France was following the situation “with the greatest attention” during a meeting in front of the ambassadors of France gathered in Paris.
A close ally of France
Ali Bongo was elected in 2009 after the death of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled Gabon for more than 41 years. Omar Bongo was one of France’s closest allies in the post-colonial era and Ali is a regular in Paris, where his family has an extensive property portfolio that is under investigation by magistrates anti Corruption.
Emmanuel Macron went to Gabon last March for the Forest Summit, a visit perceived by some opposition figures as support for Bongo before the presidential election. During a speech in Libreville, the French president, however, denied any ambition to intervene in Africa, saying that the era of interference was “over”.
“Epidemic” of coups
Following the coup d’état in Niger on July 26, France refused to recognize the military regime and promised to support the countries of the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS), some of whose members support a military action against the putschists.
On Monday, Emmanuel Macron spoke of the “epidemic” of coups in the French-speaking region of Africa, defending his policy of firmness towards the military in Niger. The head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, had estimated at the beginning of August that it was a “coup d’etat too many”.