An International Relations Prof. Kwadwo Appeagyei Atua has faulted the African Union (AU) and other regional blocks for failing to tackle the root cause of insurrection across the African continent.
His comment comes on the back of the seizure of power in Gabon by the Military of the Central African country.
The Army Officers have said they were annulling the results of Saturday’s election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner. Military officials later said that Mr Bongo had been placed under house arrest and one of his sons arrested for treason.
His overthrow would end his family’s 53-year hold on power in Gabon.
The coup in Gabon is the eighth coup in former French colonies in Africa in the past three years.
Commenting on the issue in an interview on Starr FM, Prof. Kwadwo Appeagyei Atua who’s an Associate Professor at the School of Law, University of Ghana, warned of more of such coups to come.
“…So, the recent election that was held, generally it was believed that it was going to go the way of Bongo. But the soldiers said, enough is enough, they are stepping in because that dynasty rule is going to continue and so they want to ensure change so that is what has happened in Gabon. It refers to one of the unconstitutional changes in government which we have been talking about that African leaders and AU have been focusing on coups and focusing on to a limited extent mercenary attempts to change government. But they are not looking at other element of unconstitutionality in government which the AU itself must come out with. The first one is the refusal to leave office. Bongo has had that tradition since 2009, but nothing has been done to check Bongo to ensure that there is respect for democracy and rule of law in Gabon. He added: “And so now that there is a coup d’état, focus is going to be on the coup d’état, and they are going to return the country to constitutional rule. But the underlying current which is responsible for coup d’état will not be addressed, or don’t usually get addressed and that is why we are having this cycle that we are going through right now. It is very likely that Gabon will not be the last until we see changes.”
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
