Washington has announced that it will stop foreign aid to the Gabonese government unless the country takes actual measures to creating democratic leadership.
The new military authorities in Gabon’s August overthrow of President Ali Bongo Ondimba constituted a “coup d’état,” according to the US administration.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller announced on Monday that the temporary suspension of Washington’s foreign assistance to the Gabonese government last month in response to the coup has now been lifted. But it also stated that aid for the nation of Central Africa in the areas of health, education, and humanitarianism would continue.
Along with the transitional government’s proactive steps towards rebuilding democratic governance, we will restart our support. We will keep cooperating closely with the Gabonese people and our regional allies, added Miller.
Which US-funded programmes would be halted or how much funding would be withheld were not made clear in the announcement.
On August 30, shortly after being proclaimed the victor of the nation’s contested presidential elections, Ali Bongo was overthrown by Gabonese military. In office from 2009, Bongo ruled for more than ten years. His father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled Gabon for 42 years, was succeeded by him.
The interim head of the military government, General Brice Oligui Nguema, made the vague pledge to organise “free” and “transparent” elections when he took office earlier this month. He predicted that a new administration will be formed in a “few days” and suggested reforms like a referendum on a new constitution, fresh electoral rules, an updated criminal code, and policies to encourage economic growth.
According to AFP news agency, opposition leader Raymond Ndong Sima, who the military appointed as prime minister, said in September that a 24-month transition phase in Gabon would be “reasonable.”
On Monday, Washington declared its commitment to assisting Gabon in “conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance and advancing shared security interests in the Gulf of Guinea.”
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The most recent former French colony to fall under military control is Gabon. It comes after the ouster of Mohamed Bazoum as president of Niger in July. After months of deliberation, purportedly because to potential policy repercussions, the US only just officially recognised the incident in the West African nation of Niger as a coup. Some aid to Niger has been suspended.
Disengagement was not an option, according to Washington, which keeps a garrison of 1,000 soldiers in Niger, and it will develop “pragmatic” links with the new military leaders.
In the meantime, France has been compelled to sever connections with the coup leaders in Niamey since it does not accept them as legitimate leaders. However, despite French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu recently informing the media that the situation in the Central African nation cannot be compared to that in Niger, it appears to have agreed to cooperate with the new Gabonese government. French military activities in Gabon were paused more than a week ago in response to Bongo’s overthrow, but Paris said in early September that they were being resumed “on a case-by-case basis” while at the same time beginning to evacuate troops from Niamey’s bases.
