Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd), a security expert, has investigated the reasons for Africa’s frequent coups.
He argued that African rulers who play with democracy, change constitutions, cement themselves in power, restrict the opposition, and stifle public engagement in popular politics are fueling coups in their nations.
On the GhanaTonight Show on TV3 on Wednesday, August 30, he commented on the Gabonese coup.
“My line of argument has always been that there are triggers for every event in life including coups. So when those triggers and those structural and proximate factors are present in any country then the likelihood of coups.
“It is not a question of whether it is possible but it is a question of when. So all the signs have been there in the case of Gabon as well as some other African countries that are toying with democracy, changing constitutions, entrenching themselves in power, repressing the opposition, and suppressing the public participation of popular participation in politics.”
Army commanders in Gabon have gone on national television to declare that they had taken power.
They proclaimed the results of Saturday’s election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner, null and void.
According to the electoral commission, Mr Bongo received slightly under two-thirds of the vote in an election that the opposition said was rigged.
His demise would end his family’s 53-year reign in Gabon.
Gabon is one of Africa’s biggest oil producers, yet forests cover approximately 90% of the nation.
Twelve soldiers appeared on television early Wednesday morning, declaring that the election results would be annulled and “all the institutions of the republic” would be dissolved.
They also stated that the country’s borders were blocked “until further notice.”
This would be the eighth coup in former French colonies in Africa in the last three years if verified.
The majority of the others, though, have occurred farther north, in the Sahel area, where an Islamist insurgency has led to growing concerns that democratically elected governments are failing to safeguard civilian populations.
The troops claimed to be from the Committee of Transition and Institutional Restoration and to represent the country’s security and defence forces.
On Gabon 24 TV, one of the soldiers stated, “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.”
He attributed this to “irresponsible, unpredictable governance,” which has resulted in a “continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos.”
Following the broadcast, the sounds of gunshots could be heard in the country’s capital, Libreville.
