EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, remarked on Thursday that the military coup in Gabon should not be equated with the crisis in Niger.
In Gabon, citizens participated in general elections on Saturday. However, following the announcement of President Ali Bongo as the victor on Wednesday, military officers claimed to have taken control and confined him to his residence.
Borrell explained that their intervention stemmed from the perception that the recently ousted president had secured his position through an unjust election.
“While military coups are undoubtedly not a solution, we should acknowledge that in Gabon, the elections were marred by irregularities,” he stated.
He further elaborated, “There are military and institutional coups, where the use of force is not required. If I manipulate elections to attain power, that is also an improper means of seizing authority.”
Borrell’s comments came amid discussions among EU foreign ministers about aiding the ECOWAS regional group in West Africa in addressing the military takeover that occurred in Niger on July 26.
Both the EU and ECOWAS are firmly against the military’s overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger. However, Borrell argued that the circumstances surrounding the dramatic developments in Gabon should not be directly compared.
In Niger, the president had been democratically elected, whereas in Gabon, the Bongo family had maintained control over the oil-rich nation for nearly six decades. Ali Bongo assumed the presidency in 2009 after the passing of his father, Omar.