On August 30th, members of Gabon’s military seized power from Ali Bongo, who was set to begin his third tenure as president of Gabon. The highly contentious election result would have extended the Bongo family dynasty’s almost six decades reign.
Following the recent coup in the Central African nation of Gabon, the African Union has decided to suspend the country’s membership. This is the first regional response amidst a wave of international backlashes. Despite the outside pressure, the coup plotters are intent on consolidating power.
The Nigerian president Bola Tinubu who has had his hands full with another coup a few inches away from Nigeria’s border also condemned the Gabon coup, noting that these coups are a “contagion of autocracy.” He stated, “My fear has been confirmed in Gabon that copycats will start doing the same thing until it is stopped.”
