2023-08-31 19:31:58
“France condemns the military coup that is underway in Gabon,” government spokesman Olivier Véran said on Wednesday, reaffirming that Paris is “monitoring developments in the situation very carefully. “. Earlier, the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, had signified it in front of the ambassadors and ambassadors of France gathered in Paris. French diplomacy “reaffirms its wish that the result of the election, when it is known, can be respected”, added Mr. Véran, during a press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers.
The United Kingdom also condemned the “unconstitutional” military coup in Gabon on Wednesday and called for the “restoration of a constitutional government”. But in its statement, the British Foreign Office also acknowledges “the concerns raised by the recent electoral process, including restrictions on media freedom”.
China has called on “the parties concerned” in Gabon to “guarantee the security” of President Ali Bongo. One of the spokespersons for Chinese diplomacy, Wang Wenbin, also announced to the press that “China is closely following the development of the situation in Gabon and calls on the parties concerned to act in the interest of the Gabonese people (… ), an immediate return to normal order”.
On the United States side, John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, assured that Washington “is following the situation very closely” and assured that the diplomatic personnel and the American soldiers present in Gabon were safe. He considers “deeply worrying” the succession of coups d’etat in Africa in recent years but considered that it was “too early” to speak of a basic “trend”.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said he was following the situation in Gabon “closely” with “deep concern”.
Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, “notes with great concern the announcement of the election results in the context of reports of serious violations of fundamental freedoms”, calling on the security forces to “guarantee the physical integrity of the President of the Republic and his family.
The President of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Moussa Faki Mahamat, “strongly condemns the attempted coup”, denouncing “a flagrant violation” of the principles of the continental organization, in a press release published on Wednesday.
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