International Relations Expert, Professor Kwadwo Appiahgyei Atua has said Africa leaders have failed to address the main causes of coup d’états’ on the continent.
This comes on the back of army officers announcing on national television in Gabon that they have taken power.
They said they were annulling the results of Saturday’s election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.
The electoral commission said Mr Bongo had won just under two-thirds of the votes in an election the opposition argued was fraudulent.
Commenting on the development on Morning Starr with Francis Abban Wednesday, the International Relations Expert indicated that the soldiers might have had enough of the continuous stay in office of one regime.
He added that the move could also be because the soldiers wanted to ensure change.
“So that is what has happened in Gabon and it is one of the unconstitutional changes in government which we have been talking about.
“Africa leaders and AU have been focusing on coup d’états’ but they are not looking at other elements that are contributing to unconstitutional change of government. The refusal to leave Bongo has been that the tradition in office since 2009. So nothing has been done to check Bongo to ensure that there is respect for democracy and the rule of law in Gabon,” Prof Appiahagyei stated.
He continued: “So now that there is a coup d’état the focus is going to be on the coup d’état and how to return the country to constitutional rule, hold elections and so on. But the underlying current which is responsible for the coup d’état will not be addressed. Or they don’t usually get addressed. So that is why we are having this cycle we are going through now. So it’s very likely that Gabon will not be the last until something changes as we have been saying.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
