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Gabon coup: Why military takeovers are all the rage
Another coup in Africa – just five weeks after Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum was taken hostage by the troops of his own presidential guard, Gabon’s Ali Bongo also finds himself detained in his own residence.
A sudden statement on national television in the early hours of Wednesday, to declare Mr Bongo the winner of last Sunday’s election, was followed within minutes by a second surprise broadcast, as a clutch of soldiers announced the seizure of power in the former French colony.
Later in the day, as footage of celebrating crowds emerged – after the new junta had lifted the internet shutdown imposed by Mr Bongo’s regime on the eve of the polls and maintained the shutdown throughout an opaque vote “count” – the deposed head of state appeared in an online video sent from his place of confinement.
Looking bewildered, he appealed – in English – for friends outside to “make noise”, in apparent hope that external pressure might reverse the shock turn of events, a prospect that seems remote.
But even if Mr Bongo himself was caught unprepared by the coup, perhaps Africa and the world should not have been.
The 26 July overthrow of Mr Bazoum in Niger gave ample warning that West and Central Africa’s “coup-epidemic” had not run its course.
In January last year, it had been the turn of Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré to be deposed by soldiers – whose leader was then himself dethroned by lower ranking counterparts on 30 September, just eight months later.
And before that, 2021 had brought two coups in West Africa. In May, Col Assimi Goïta, already author of a previous military takeover in Mali, had staged a second putsch to reassert his own power.
Then in September Guinea’s special forces fought their way into the Sékhoutouréyah palace in Conakry to take President Alpha Condé into custody.
And we should not forget Chad where, following the April 2021 death in battle of long-time strongman Idriss Déby Itno, a military council stepped in to ensure the succession of his son and, thus, the continuation of the regime.
What on earth is happening in West and Central Africa – and in former French colonies in particular?
Six years ago the departure into exile of the electorally-defeated Gambian ruler Yahya Jammeh left every country in West Africa under multi-party constitutional rule.
In the centre of the continent some authoritarian regimes survived, but the era of military takeovers seemed long past.
Yet the past three years have seen seven coups in five countries – plus the strong-armed military assumption of power in Chad.
There are common factors that have, at the very least, created conditions in which soldiers have felt they can step in with relative impunity, and often with the support of a large slice of the urban population, especially frustrated young people.
Across much of West and Central Africa, younger citizens have become widely disenchanted with the traditional political class, even with those who have been legitimately elected to office.
Such disillusionment is fuelled by a raft of issues – a shortage of jobs and even informal economic opportunities for both graduates and those less educated, perceived high levels of corruption and privilege among the elite, as well as resentment at the persistent influence of France in the many countries where it is the former colonial power.
But there is also deep resentment at the way many civilian rulers manipulate electoral processes or constitutional rule to prolong their hold on power. The scrapping of presidential term limits – after controversial amendments to constitutions – is a source of especially sore feelings.
And such abuses also undermine the moral authority of bodies such as the African Union – or the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), often labelled an “incumbent presidents’ club” – in seeking to force coup leaders to restore elected civilian rule.
The Central African regional bloc to which Gabon belongs does not even have serious pretentions to establish or sustain governance standards across member states.
But while all these factors create a climate in which soldiers have felt increasingly emboldened about seizing power, claiming to offer a “fresh start”, each coup has also been driven by specific national or narrow local motivations – and the takeover in Gabon is no exception.
Source: BBC
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
