Politics
Soldiers in Gabon have taken control of the government shortly after a presidential election that resulted in the re-election of the incumbent, Ali Bongo. The election was widely regarded as fraudulent, as is often the case. Ali Bongo inherited the presidency from his father, who ruled from 1967 until his death in 2009. This is the eighth coup in west and central Africa since 2020, following similar events in Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, and Mali. France is concerned about the situation due to its military base in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, and previous expulsions of its forces by coup-led regimes in Burkina Faso and Mali.
Security conditions in Mali continue to worsen as the number of UN peacekeepers and police is reduced to 13,000. The ruling junta has ordered the complete withdrawal of these forces by the end of the year. Russia has pledged to provide “comprehensive assistance” to Mali following the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, which has been active in the country. The historic city of Timbuktu in Mali is facing a blockade by jihadists and is experiencing a shortage of food.
Zimbabwe’s electoral commission has declared Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power in a coup in 2017 after overthrowing Robert Mugabe, as the winner of the recent presidential election. The commission announced that Mnangagwa defeated Nelson Chamisa, the main challenger, with 53% of the votes compared to Chamisa’s 44%. Independent observers, supported by the Southern African Development Community, have criticized the conduct of the election, despite the organization’s previous endorsement of elections in Zimbabwe.
2023-08-31 08:03:12
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