Soldiers In Gabon Say They’ve Seized Power And Appointed The Republican Guard Chief As Head Of State

Relevance: GS 2 - Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

(Source: The Hindu, 08/31/23)

Click here for Daily Current Affairs

Why in the news?

• Recently, Military officers of the Central African nation Gabon announced on August 30 that they had taken power "on behalf of the Gabonese people" and that they were "putting an end to the current regime".
• The coup occurred just after the results of the country's general elections were announced to pave the way for a third presidential term for Ali Bongo Ondimba, who over the years gained notoriety for his alleged corrupt practices.
• Gabon is the sixth country in Africa to be facing a coup in the past three years. Five other countries include- Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

What are the reasons behind the coup in Gabon?

• Corruption: Many democratically elected leaders have faced accusations of corrupt practices and excessive alignment with Western interests.
• According to Sherpa, a French NGO dedicated to accountability, nine members of the Bongo family, meanwhile, are under investigation in France, and some face preliminary charges of embezzlement, money laundering and other forms of corruption.
• Investigators have linked the family to more than $92 million in properties in France, including two villas in Nice.
• Misappropriation of funds: Former Gabonese President Ali Bongo imported fake snow to the Presidential Palace for a snowy Christmas in Libreville, exemplifying the misuse of state funds by those in power.
• Single family rule: President Ali Bongo governed from 2009, succeeding his father President Omar Bongo who led from 1967 to 2009. This familial domination covered 56 out of 63 years of Gabon's independent existence, controlling the nation's rich resources.
• Economic hardships: According to the World Bank, nearly 40 percent of Gabonese people aged 15-24 were out of work in 2020.
• Former French colonies: All the seven countries in Africa where coups have occurred in the last two years were former French colonies leading to an opinion among experts that French colonialism is to blame for the range of instabilities in the region.
• In the Sahel region, rising anti-French sentiment is fueled by the dominance of French companies in mining resources.

What are the implications?

• Terrorism: Recent coups in Mali and Burkina Faso have led to anti-French sentiment, affecting France's role in countering extremism. The juntas in these countries expelled French troops and sought alternatives like the Wagner Group.
• Economic: According to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data,Gabon is the second-biggest manganese producer in the world and mined an estimated 4.6 million metric tons of the metal in 2022. Therefore the coup may have an impact on prices of commodities like steel and manganese.
• Gabon is a minor OPEC producer, but it serves as a reminder of the geopolitical risk in the oil market

(*Click this link to read prelims specific weekly current affairs articles)

FAQs

MCQs

Question: Consider the following pairs: (UPSC-2022)

Region often mentioned in the news: Country

1. Anatolia Turkey
2. Amhara Ethiopia
3. Cabo Delgado Spain
4. Catalonia Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) Only three pairs

(d) All four pairs