Gabon's leader Ali Bongo was overthrown by the presidential Republican guard, ending nearly 56 years of Bongo family rule.
The military named General Bris Olegiongima as the new transitional president, marking the sixth African country with a military coup since 2020.
Ali Bongo had claimed victory in recent elections, but the military annulled the results shortly after
Many in Gabon hope the change in leadership will bring a brighter future, while the international community watches closely.
The coup in Gabon is part of a trend of military takeovers in Africa, with five other countries experiencing coups recently, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, and Mali.
Research suggests that various factors, including poverty, democratic challenges, ethnic politics, and Islamist insurgencies, contribute to the resurgence of coups in Africa.
The international community's response, including sanctions and diplomacy, plays a significant role in the success or failure of post-coup regimes.
The surge in coups since 2020 may continue, driven by complex local and regional dynamics, but predicting specific future coup attempts remains challenging.
Professor John Chin at the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Security and Technology emphasizes that not all coups are the same, and they can be categorized based on their goals, making it challenging to pinpoint the causes of the recent coup wave in Africa.
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