In a statement on Monday, the junta that seized power in Gabon revealed its intention to conduct elections in August 2025, marking a two-year period since the military coup ousted President Ali Bongo.
The military takeover occurred on August 30, following the announcement of Bongo’s third-term victory by Gabon’s election center.
This event adds to the wave of eight coups in West and Central Africa since 2020, drawing widespread condemnation. Regional bodies have consistently urged the self-appointed military governments to expedite the electoral process.
Gabon’s junta outlined a provisional transition schedule, featuring elections scheduled for August 2025. The proposed plan requires approval through a national dialogue, involving government officials, civil society groups, and other stakeholders.
The junta further disclosed plans to present a new constitution by the end of October 2024, with a referendum on its adoption set for November-December of that year. However, the junta acknowledged that these dates are subject to possible revision.
“We are committed to ensuring a transparent, inclusive, and efficient process,” stated the junta in a televised announcement.
The response from the Central African bloc ECCAS, which suspended Gabon’s membership following the coup, is still pending.
The military intervention in Gabon stemmed from years of discontent towards the Bongo regime, accused of not adequately sharing the country’s oil and mining wealth with its 2 million citizens. Similar coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger were motivated, in part, by frustration over the failure to protect civilians amid a rising jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region.
While Mali faced sanctions for failing to conduct promised elections in February 2022, it has now committed to polls in February of the following year.
Burkina Faso opted for a 24-month transition, delaying elections until the country is deemed safe enough. Chad’s transitional government, following a 2021 coup, postponed scheduled elections to October 2024, extending the initial 18-month transition commitment.
