After media reported that a group of senior military officers in Gabon seized power on Wednesday, some Western countries condemned the military coup. The coup in Gabon, which comes a month after Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum was taken hostage by the troops of presidential guard, showed that the overall influence of Western countries, which have been promoting political system reforms and governance models in Africa, have largely failed, some Chinese experts said.
The West's primary concerns about the coup are not about humanitarian issues in Gabon but rather the fear that a new government that is not pro-West might take power, some experts said.
A group of senior Gabonese military officers appeared on the Gabon 24 TV station early Wednesday and announced the cancellation of the August 26 presidential election, the "end of the regime" and the dissolution of "all institutions of the Republic," France 24 reported.
The statement came shortly after the results of the presidential election were declared, which gave President Ali Bongo 64.2 percent of the vote and a third term in office, according to media reports.
The US said the situation in the African country is "deeply concerning." White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the US remains "a supporter of the people in the region, a supporter of the people of Gabon and of their demand for democratic governance," according to media reports.
France condemned the military coup in Gabon and is closely monitoring developments in the country, and reaffirmed its wish that the outcome of the election, once known, be respected, French government spokesman Olivier Veran was quoted as saying in media reports.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday that "China is closely following the developments in Gabon. We call on relevant sides in the country to proceed from the fundamental interests of the nation and the people, resolve differences peacefully through dialogue, restore order at an early date."
The Chinese Embassy in Gabon issued a consular notice on Wednesday local time, stating that due to the current situation in the country, the embassy has activated its emergency mechanism for significant unexpected incidents. It also advised all Chinese citizens in Gabon to stay at home and not venture outside.
"Elections in the African region have their uniqueness and cannot be judged solely on the surface. For example, the overthrow of Mali's president Keita in 2020, who was elected by a large majority, is a case in point," You Tao, deputy director of the research center for francophone world development at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times.
The people's level of satisfaction with their lives, their assessment of good governance, and their views on social fairness are sometimes not fully expressed through elections, You said.
A fundamental reason for the coup in Gabon is primarily due to Gabon's relatively low level of governance and inefficacy in administration, Song Wei, a professor at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times.
"The core of this issue is its influence from former Western colonial powers and the governance and political system reforms that the West has been pushing in Africa since the Cold War. These reforms have not laid the foundation for Africa to innately produce democracy," she said.
Thus, the West's overall promotion of governance in Africa has essentially been a failure, she said.
This photo taken on Aug. 30, 2023 shows a morning view of Libreville, capital of Gabon. / Global Times
Following the military coup in Niger, France "fully supports" the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS) decision to activate a standby military force on the borders of the Sahel country, media reported earlier in August. Macron also said recently that France's ambassador to Niger will stay in the country despite pressure to leave from leaders of the coup.
The turmoil in West Africa has a strong contagion effect, especially with the high success rates of coups and the lack of strong intervention by the international community, which greatly emboldens African military factions, You said.
France, as a former colonial power, has always been committed to maintaining the stability of its former colonies, the expert noted. However, due to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict on Europe's doorstep and the heavy colonial burden it carries, France appears to be indecisive in its actions.
"If the Gabon coup succeeds, the French government will certainly not stand idly by. After all, the Bongo family has maintained good personal relationships with successive French presidents, and national interests are highly intertwined. France cannot afford to lose Gabon," You added.
Main Photo: This video grab shows a group of Gabonese military officers releasing a statement via a TV channel in the early morning of Aug. 30, 2023. Gabonese military officers have canceled election results and dissolved state institutions, claiming they have taken power, local media reported on Wednesday.© Xinhua
Source: Global Times.
