The only way to prevent military coups, according to security analyst Emmanuel Kotin, is via effective government.
Kotin’s remarks come in response to the recent military coup in Gabon, when army commanders took control and threw out the results of the country’s recent presidential election, which President Ali Bongo won.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in Accra on Wednesday, Kotin said
“if you look at the history of Francophone countries, it has always been a system where a family will rule for a long period of time, following the tenets of their colonial masters. In Gabon, for example, one family has been able to rule the country for over 50 years. So Francophone countries have a peculiar problem. But there is also a mix of factors at play, due to globalization and the export of culture.”
“People are increasingly becoming aware of their rights, and you see that we have older people who are ruling younger people… and not giving them the opportunity, and they don’t seem to get their way out, it goes through some form of triggers and when it explodes these are some of the things that happen. So it is a wake-up call that good governance, nothing but good governance is the panacea to stopping these military coups.”
In the meanwhile, a social media video featuring the president of Gabon, Ali Bongo, has urged his “friends all over the world” to “make noise” against the coup.
In the video, Bongo declares that both he and his family are secure. He claims to be unaware of the situation in the nation and urges his buddies to speak out against the coup.
“Nothing is happening. I don’t know what is going on.”
He encourages his “friends” to speak out once more before thanking them.
