Why West Africa is grappling with a surge in military coups
In the tumultuous landscape of sub-Saharan Africa, military coups have become disturbingly frequent, with Gabon’s recent seizure of power marking the ninth such incident since 2020.
In the tumultuous landscape of sub-Saharan Africa, military coups have become disturbingly frequent, with Gabon’s recent seizure of power marking the ninth such incident since 2020.
In all six countries that have suffered coups over the past three years, France maintains deep economic, political and security ties
The African continent is grappling with a disturbing surge in military coups, with eight recorded in central and west Africa since 2020.
Amidst a surge in coups across Africa, Gabon becomes the latest victim of “gun-barrel governance”.
No rational thinker would bet against a Malawi-type similar turnaround in a properly monitored Zimbabwean election.
Military officers seized Gabon’s national radio to read a statement announcing they want to install a “restoration council” in what appears to be a coup, as gunfire rang out over the capital, Libreville.
EU observers have officially stated Gabon’s vote “lacked transparency”. But that doesn’t count for much on a continent where political leaders are blindly loyal to peers regardless of their tarnished records. Witness the African Union’s defence of Robert Mugabe and Omar al-Bashir.
Bongo won a disputed election in 2009 following the death of his father, longtime leader Omar Bongo, and is now nearing the end of his first 7-year term in office.
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang narrowly edged out Yaya Toure to be named African Footballer of the Year at the Confederation of African Football award ceremony.
Republic of Congo’s Denis Sassou Nguesso is among a number of African leaders targeted by a long-running investigation into suspected ill-gotten wealth in France.