Cameroon condemns Gabon’s “unconstitutional” coup

Cameroon’s Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, René Emmanuel Sadi, has issued a statement condemning the August 30th coup in Gabon.

René Emmanuel stated that Cameroon is worried about the coup, which is “anti-constitutional and in violation of the fundamental principles and values of the Economic Community of Central African States and the African Union.”

The statement from René Sadi has been greeted with warnings from Cameroonians, as many have been calling for President Paul Biya of Cameroon to resign and not wait for a coup to oust him.

One of those reacting to the statement on Platform X, (Formerly Twitter) is Attoh Mouchia who said, the Biya Regime is worse than the administration of Gabon under Ali Bongo, and so they should expect a similar fate.

“Now you’re scared. The @PR_Paul_BIYA regime in #Cameroon is worse & more corrupt than the Ali Bongo regime in #Gabon,” Mouchia wrote.

Similarly, another user who goes by the name RadioMan Tech, Inc. responded by telling the government of Cameroon not to expect any intervention from regional bodies.

“Hey, let me tell you something important. If I was you( of course, I am not you) I will be worried too. Ecowas can’t get you out of this impasse. Unfortunately, you are going to go through the same heat as Mali, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinée,…,” they warned.

Many have also condemned Cameroon for speaking out only after the coup, whereas the corruption the people of Gabon are decrying has never been a subject of discussion by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the African Union, of which Cameroon is a member.

Further to this letter, Cameroon had reacted to the coup by restructuring some military positions, through a decree signed on the same day by President Biya.

On August 30, the defence and security forces in Gabon declared they had seized power in order to maintain peace by ending the regime of Ali Bongo Odimba. The junta has kept President Bongo under house arrest, along with his son, wife, and other close members of his government.