President Cyril Ramaphosa has raised alarm over the increase in coups in Africa saying the African Union has been forthright on action that needs to be taken in the event of a coup.
Deposed president of Gabon Ali Bongo called on the international community to intervene after he was ousted in a military coup this week.
The ANC has suspended Gabon. The coup in Gabon comes after another coup in Niger where former president Mahomed Bazoum was removed by the military in July.
Africa has had seven coups in the last three years with Mali. Guinea and Burkina Faso among the countries led by military regimes. .
Ramaphosa said they were concerned about the number of coups and hope this is brought to an end.
However, he denied that the AU is ineffective in dealing with military regimes who seize power through undemocratic means.
“We are obviously disturbed and really concerned about a number of coups that have happened in the last two years, with one having happened recently after just an election. The AU is seized in addressing all this and I wouldn’t say the AU is incapable. The AU has come up with a number of policy positions, rules and regulations of what needs to be done and adhered to. The AU plays a critical role and has made great advances in the recent past,” said Ramaphosa.
He said they have been trying to push for the silencing of the guns in Africa, but that not yet been achieved with the resurgence of coups.
“We still have a big job ahead of us to silence the guns to make sure that those coups do not take place,” said Ramaphosa.
The UN, AU, and other international bodies have condemned the latest coup in Gabon.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a peaceful solution to the crisis in that country.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics