An extraordinary session of the conference of heads of state and government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is taking place this December 15, 2023 in Ciudad de la Paz (Equatorial Guinea). It will discuss the situation in Gabon, where a coup d’état overthrew Ali Bongo on August 30, 2023. Since then, the Gabonese transitional power has lobbied very actively for the ECCAS sanctions to be lifted. Explanations.
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THE Gabon is on the agenda of the extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) this December 15, 2023. The heads of state of ECCAS are in Equatorial Guinea to examine the case of Gabon, which was sanctioned after the coup d’état of August 30. The sub-regional body had suspended this country, transferred the headquarters of the organization to Malabo and appointed the Equatorial Guinean head of state Téodoro Obiang Nguema president of the institution in place of the deposed former Gabonese president Ali Bongo.
Since then, the Gabonese transitional power has been lobbying very actively for the sanctions to be lifted. The new strongman of Libreville, General Oligui Nguema, has traveled a lot since the putsch. He took care to go see the Equatorial Guinean president first, after he took power. Then he met, one by one, all the heads of state of ECCAS, with the exception of the Angolan João Lourenço.
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For three months, the Gabonese have been teaching, trying as much as possible to reassure partners, to explain the reasons for the coup d’état, a bloodless putsch, with a certain popularity among the population…
Before this summit, Libreville was rather optimistic. “ No president of the sub-region has shown a desire to keep our country under sanction », Confided the presidential spokesperson. Télesphore Obame Ngomo also recalled that Libreville had given assurances, notably by revealing on November 13 a two-year transition schedule. An activism which has also paid off since on December 11, the World Bank resumed its programs suspended since August.
The ECCAS facilitator, the Central African Faustin-Archange Touadéra, arrived in Equatorial Guinea on Monday to submit his report on the progress of the transition and his recommendations. General Oligui Nguema was invited and has been there since December 14.
Libreville hopes for sanctions to be lifted as quickly as possible. A week ago, before the assembly, the Prime Minister warned that the country could not afford to be on the bench of nations. Otherwise, donors risked ultimately withdrawing and stopping their funding.