French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu told the Le Figaro newspaper that France has recalled its military training mission in Gabon.
“As for our presence [in Gabon], military officers are stationed there to train Gabonese troops. Their work has been suspended until the political situation is clarified,” he said.
Lecornu said the situation in Gabon cannot be compared to that of Niger, “where the military illegally ousted a democratically elected president.” By contrast, in Gabon the developments stemmed from “a failure to comply with electoral laws and the constitution.” Lecornu said there was a need “to give diplomats time to assess what is going on in Gabon and discuss it with their partners.”
Meanwhile Gabon’s transitional leader, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, made a public statement promising to reorganize government institutions to make them more democratic.
“We are talking about a reorganization to make them more democratic instruments, more in line with international standards in terms of respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, as well as fighting corruption, which has become commonplace in our country,” the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
