What is happening in Gabon?

“All the continent of Africa continues to turn away from the woke West” – Steve Turley.

“Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both aspects. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth’s land area and 6% of its total surface area. With 1.4 billion people as of 2021, it accounts for about 18% of the world’s human population. Africa’s population is the youngest amongst all the continents; the median age in 2012 was 19.7, when the worldwide median age was 30.4. Despite a wide range of natural resources, Africa is the least wealthy continent per capita … Scholars have attributed this to different factors including geography, climate, tribalism, colonialism, the Cold War, neocolonialism, lack of democracy, and corruption. Despite this low concentration of wealth, recent economic expansion and the large and young population make Africa an important economic market in the broader global context” – Wikipedia.

It was only three weeks ago when I wrote my “What is happening in Niger” blog. There are many similarities between the Niger and Gabon situations, beginning with most people not being able to locate the two countries on the map. The other big similarity is both have experienced a recent military coup that has overthrown the government in power, with popular support, and both new regimes have given their proverbial two fingers up to their former colonial controllers, namely the French and the Americans.

According to today’s BBC report: “Gabon coup leaders name General Brice Oligui Nguema as new leader” we read “Army officers who seized power in a coup in Gabon on Wednesday have named General Brice Oligui Nguema as the West African state’s transitional leader. Gen Nguema was earlier carried triumphally through the streets of the capital Libreville by his troops. The deposed President, Ali Bongo, has appeared in a video at his home, calling on his “friends all over the world” to “make noise” on his behalf. The former French colony is one of Africa’s major oil producers. Mr Bongo’s overthrow ended his family’s 55-year hold on power. Army officers appeared on TV in the early hours of Wednesday to say they had taken power. They said they had annulled the results of Saturday’s election in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner but which the opposition said was fraudulent”.

As I said before, there is much about Africa, especially the geo-political situation, I don’t understand. But I do know the continent is big (see map) and there are lots of people living there. I also know the continent is full of natural resources that as a whole have benefited outside interests (which is why those who are in power in the USA and France etc. and the Africans they have put in charge, often as a result of colour revolutions or bribery and corruption are unhappy as they lose out), most of the common people are economically poor, there is poor infra-structure much of which could have been dealt with but despite large amounts of aid supposedly pouring in has not happened, and most governments of African nations are overseen by those protecting their own interests, appeasing outside powerful interests etc.; not to benefit the people.

Regarding the giving of aid, not only does it not help those who need the help most but often it comes with strings attached like having to let the aid givers exploit national resources or requiring recipients to subscribe to western wokeism. When people rise to power in these countries, who stand up against western interests, there is a tendency one way or another for them to be taken out. It is a shame the Black Lives Matter movement that recently has had a lot of popular support in the West, seems to care little for Gabon’s people.

As well as Niger and Gabon, lots is happening throughout the continent and a lot of this has global consequences, including the de-stabilization that ensues and mass migration to the West, that the West doesn’t know how to deal with. Then there is the replacement of one set of powerful overlords like the Americans and French, with another, realising Africa’s huge potential, such as the Chinese and Russians, but all of which seem more interested in protecting their own interests, rather than being driven by a desire to uplift a down trodden people. Something that is likely to affect us all is a global financial reset and the growth of BRICS that will include African nations, that will be looking to overturn the power of the US dollar when it comes to international transactions. Something that also has dire consequences is when groups within the continent are targeted by terrorists and those ideologically driven. As someone who supports Barnabas Aid (see here) that works to provide hope and aid for suffering Christians, I am well aware this is something that affects the world and notably Africa.

I am grateful to Steve Turley with his “Macron BANNED as Another African Coup CRUSHES the WOKE West” report for alerting me to the Gabon situation, albeit from a perspective not shared by much of mainstream media. I found the “Mel K & Lawrence Freeman | Everything You’re Not Being Told About Africa & Why It Matters Most” one-hour video captivating and pertinent. I regret most people are not party to Lawrence Freeman’s expert, pertinent analysis of the African situation. Sadly, we live in a time when those who understand and care are being shoved aside by those who don’t.

I will close here, not just because “short and sweet” works best with many of my readers but because there is much I don’t know for sure or can provide suitable back-up references. But I do not apologise for taking time to discuss the situations in Niger and Gabon in my blogs, despite being of minimal interest to most. As I keep saying, a lot is happening in the world and a lot of it is related. This will have monumental consequences for each one of us in the near future (assuming we are still around) and while Africa tends to fall behind America, Europe and Asia as continents of particular interest, we do well to keep our eyes on events as they unravel in the months to come, in which Africa will play a significant part.