Coups D’Etat Niger-Gabon: Why the International Community’s Contradictory Attitude Towards the Two Political Crises

The coup in Gabon on 30 August that toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba came a month and a few days after the fall of Mohamed Bazoum in Niger. Both military coups were welcomed and supported by the populations of these countries. But French and European diplomats took different positions on these two coups.

We refer in particular to the fact that the European Union sought to justify the coup d’état in Gabon on the grounds that the election was marred by irregularities, whereas in Niger the final results published in March 2021 were also contested by Mohamed Bazoum’s main opponent. In addition, Niger’s ruling military have cited the deposed president’s inability to manage the security situation, which has spiralled out of control and poses a major threat to the lives of the people of Niger, despite the presence of French soldiers.The Niger defence forces are still at the front and have a better grasp of the situation there and the cowardly and suspicious behaviour that French soldiers often adopt when faced with the actions of terrorist groups. Let’s not forget that the EU joined forces with ECOWAS to supposedly re-establish constitutional order in Niger with Bazoum’s return to power. This attitude was not adopted for Gabon. Everyone knew about Ali’s state of health, so why didn’t they arrest him sooner?

France has firmly condemned the coup d’état in Niger and has even raised its voice against the Niger soldiers who took power and decided to send the French soldiers home. On the situation in Gabon, however, France said it was closely monitoring developments in the crisis. France has declared that it does not recognise the legitimacy of the military regime in Niger, since the courageous President Bazoum has not resigned. Did Gabon’s Ali Bongo sign his resignation before General Brice Oligui Nguema took the oath of office for a transition whose duration nobody knows?

The French diplomat even met the Gabonese President of the transition, but the President of Niger refused to accept the invitation from the new authorities. This raises questions. Otherwise, why be harder on the people of Niger? Why seek to restore Bazoum to power? Why interfere in the Niger crisis when this is not the case in Gabon? Why can’t ECOWAS simply accept the CNSP’s proposal for a transition? It should also be pointed out that unlike ECOWAS, CEMAC, the regional organisation to which Gabon belongs, has not imposed illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against Gabon.

Alpha-KI