Amid Gabon Coup Two African Countries Make Fresh Changes To Their Military Structures (DETAILS)

Amid Gabon Coup Two African Countries Make Fresh Changes To Their Military Structures (DETAILS)

Illustration

The recent military coup that ousted President Ali Bongo in Gabon has prompted both Cameroon and Rwanda to make changes to their military structures, seen as responses to the coup.

The surprise coup, which occurred on Tuesday night, garnered global condemnation and led various countries, including the United Nations and the African Union, to denounce the military’s actions.

This coup in Gabon is the latest in a series of military takeovers that have resulted in the removal of democratically elected leaders in countries such as Niger Republic, Mali, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Bissau.

Read Also 5 African Presidents With Longest-serving Tenures

According to Rwandan News Times, President Kagame has sanctioned the retirement of several senior RDF (Rwandan Defense Force) generals, including Gen. James Kabarebe, who was the Senior Presidential Advisor on security matters.

Similarly, in Cameroon, President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1975 and seeks to safeguard his country from such coups, has initiated a military reshuffle involving new appointments.

A document originating from the President himself was shared on Twitter. Written in French, Cameroon’s official language, the document detailed the changes in the military appointments.

Meanwhile, an unverified report has emerged indicating that the military junta in Gabon has released Sylvia Bongo, the wife of ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Sylvia Bongo, the First Lady, was reportedly released from house arrest, where members of the first family were held.

The report does not confirm the status of other members of the first family. Ali Bongo Ondimba had earlier released a video from captivity on Wednesday, appealing to well-wishers and friends for support as he remained held by the coup plotters.

Furthermore, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, a son of Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been detained for “treason” and placed under house arrest. This announcement was made by military officials shortly after they declared the ousting of the government.

In a statement broadcast on national television, it was stated, “President Ali Bongo is under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors.”

Key figures within the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), including Bongo’s son and close adviser Noureddin Bongo Valentin, chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, and his deputy, along with other presidential advisers, have been arrested, according to a military leader. Among the charges leveled against them are treason, corruption, theft, and forgery of the president’s signature.

Earlier on Wednesday, just hours after Bongo had been declared the election winner on Saturday, military officers declared that they had ousted Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years.