Advisor says France unpopular in Gabon, surprised by election results
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France's dwindling popularity in Gabon was a prelude to the coup that took place, with Paris stressing that it was keeping an eye on the developments.
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Gabonese soldiers appeared on TV Wednesday to announce they were 'putting an end to the current regime' in the country (AFP)
Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba is reportedly under house arrest after a military coup in the oil and resources-rich Central African country.
The coup took place on Wednesday, shortly after the electoral commission announced that Bongo had won a third term in office. The announcement was met with widespread protests, and the military stepped in to restore order.
Mark Pursey, a British political consultant who advised Bongo's re-election campaign, said he tried to reach people in the President's entourage on Wednesday morning, though his bids were not met with success.
"I haven't gotten through to anyone so far," Pursey said. "I see the messages have been received by somebody," he added, suggesting that his contacts' phones remained switched on.
The coup's timing underlined that it was not spontaneous as it took place straight after the election results were announced.
"It's clear that this has been planned for some time," he said. "The military have been very well-organized."
Pursey said that his firm's, BTP Advisors, polling over the past 18 months, showed that France was deeply unpopular among the majority of Gabonese.
"When you ask the general population, they have a very bad opinion of France," he said. "Not good at all toward French politicians, French geopolitics as well," he said.
France has long maintained a foothold in Gabon as its former colonizer, erecting companies there such as mining firms in a bid to plunder the country's resources while only giving back abysmal returns to the state and its institutions.
While he said BTP Advisors had pointed to an election victory for Bongo in recent months, he stressed that he was surprised by the large margin announced by the electoral commission
Pursey said that his firm's polling had pointed to an election victory for Bongo in recent months, but that he was surprised by the large margin he managed to get. Albert Ondo Ossa, Bongo's main challenger, came in second place with 31% of the vote, according to the official results.
In addition to anti-French sentiment, Pursey said the polling picked up on concerns about the health of the president, who suffered a stroke a few years ago, and tiredness over his family's long rule. Bongo became president after the 2009 death of his father, Omar Bongo.
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said France was following the situation in Gabon very closely, in line with an announcement from the French Foreign Ministry.
"We are concerned about the situation in Gabon and we are in contact with all the parties involved," she said.
French mining giant Eramet, which owns and operates the manganese minit unit in Gabon said in the wake of the coup that took place in the country that it halted all operations.
"From this morning all Comilog and Setrag operations have been halted and train transport suspended," an Eramet spokesperson told Reuters.
Moreover, the European Union's foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc's defense and foreign ministers would discuss the situation in Gabon and the broader Central and West African region at meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.
"I received the news early this morning. If this information is corroborated, it would signify another instance of a military coup, exacerbating instability throughout the region. While I lack comprehensive details at this point, it is certain that we will engage in deliberations if the matter is presented," Borrell said.
Gabonese military officers further declared an announcement on television stating that the country's borders are closed as of now until further notice, while state institutions have been dissolved and remain out of operation.
