Gabon: Expect More Coups In Africa – Femi Fani-kayode( FFK )

 

This video grab taken from Gabon 24 shows Gabonese soldiers appearing on television on August 30, 2023 announcing they were “putting an end to the current regime” and the cancellation of an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won.

During the announcement, AFP journalists heard gunfire ring out in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. While announcing the cancellation of the results one of the soldiers announced the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic”.

“We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime”, one of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions”.

“To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled,” he added. “All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court,” he added, announcing the closure of the country’s borders “until further notice”. Among the soldiers were members of the Republican Guard as well as soldiers of the regular army and police officers

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that there will be more coups in the French-speaking West and Central African countries near future. Fani-Kayode said this on following a coup that was staged in Gabon to topple the democratic government of President Ali Bongo, who has been in power since 2009

Bongo was announced as the winner of the presidential election in the West African country on Saturday, having fulfilled a two-thirds victory at the polls. The Gabonese military officers who were dissatisfied with Bongo’s family’s 53-year rule in power overthrew him on Wednesday.  Twelve soldiers appeared on national television to announce an end to Bongo’s rule in Gabon

Reacting to the incident which was the latest in the military takeovers spreading in the Sahel region, Fani-Kayode said this will in Africa, until the stakeholders heed the warning he gave on his previous essay titled: ‘Does Killing Nigerien Babies Bring Glory To Our Name?’

In the article, the ex-minister condemned the cut of power supplies to Niger by the federal government which is adversely affecting the hospitals, and leading to the deaths of babies as pregnant women give birth. He also criticised the influence of France on Francophone African nations, which has been leading to coups.

[b]Fani-Kayode made these known via his X page on Wednesday morning, stressing that he was not surprised about the coup. He wrote, “BREAKING NEWS: Sadly another coup has taken place in Africa

This time it is in the nation of Gabon where President Ali Bongo (pictured below), who together with his late father Alhaj Bongo, had been in power for the last 53 years has been toppled and removed from office.[/b]

“It appears that the warning I gave in my last essay, titled ‘Does Killing Nigerien Babies Bring Glory To Our Name?’, was prophetic. I am not surprised that this has happened and frankly we should expect more coups in the Francophone countries of West and Central Africa for the reasons I stated in that essay.
I wonder whether ECOWAS or the African Union will threaten to invade Gabon as well?”