Gabon coup: President Bongo, under 'house arrest,' calls for 'friends' to 'make noise'
Le Monde.frAug 30, 2023
The Facts
After President Ali Bongo Ondimba was declared the victor of Saturday's contested national election in Gabon, military officers appeared on national television on Wednesday to announce they were seizing power. News of the coup prompted widespread celebrations and reports of gunfire in the capital Libreville.
The officers said they represented all of the Central African nation's security and defense forces, adding that the election results were canceled, all borders were closed until further notice, and state institutions dissolved. The military leaders said President Bongo was put under house arrest.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
France strongly condemns this attempted coup in Gabon and is monitoring the situation closely. The coup leaders should respect the will of the people and honor the outcome of Saturday's national election. Ali Bongo Ondimba should be reinstated as president of Gabon and democracy must prevail.
Establishment-critical narrative
France's past support for corrupt and authoritarian leaders in its former colonies has led to a situation in which Paris is literally being chased out of French-speaking African countries in an epidemic of military coups. France's once undisputed geopolitical power in the region is being challenged by China and Russia. Volatile situations like this one are the result of unscrupulous French actions and Paris's waning regional sway.