Gabon silent revolution: the Army has an historic choice to make!

Although the ruling party PDG and Ali Ben Bongo would like us believe that all is well in Gabon and that there is no political crisis in that country, the facts show that since the electoral coup that allowed Ali Bongo to become (illegitimate) president in September 2009, Gabon is plunged into a major political crisis. The climax of the crisis was reached when Andre Mba Obame proclaimed himself President of Gabon and formed a parallel government January 25, 2009, which still exists.

The political crisis in Gabon has been called "silent revolution" because it took place at the same time that Tunisia and Egypt were living in historic times, while the dictators Ben Ali and Mubarak were being driven out power by their respective peoples. All cameras and all pens of the world media were therefore directed towards the Maghreb and Gabon seemed like a non event. Yet, as the Tunisians and Egyptians, the people of Gabon also denounced the manipulation of polls, oppression, exploitation, corruption, massive embezzlement of public funds, hunger, unemployment and other evils which it suffering for over 43 years that the country is run by the same Bongo family.

The outcome of the political crisis in Gabon, like the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt relies heavily on the role that the Army will play. Some opposition political parties (including the National Union or “Union Nationale” as it is called in french) and representatives of civil society have shown until recently their commitment to a country of Gabon finally free and democratic. The Army of Gabon (same for the Police) must choose between continuing to support a tyrannical regime and undermined the strong aspirations of the people for change and genuine democracy in Gabon.

Lessons from Maghreb and the Army of Gabon

In Tunisia, the Army has, through the United States, built a corridor for Ben Ali’s departure. The Tunisian Army was relegated to second place in favor of the Police during the reign of Ben Ali. It's an Army that can be qualified as patriotic and for the people.

In Egypt, the army, despite orders for an immediate transition of the United States and the European Union, continued to close the corridor for the possible departure of Mubarak said to be the bulwark against the development of political Islam. Hosni Mubarak has still left office under the protection of the Army. The Army has been critical to the success of Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.

As they did in the case of Tunisia and Egypt, most Western capitals, including Paris, would they not be able to anticipate the tidal waves that carry the Gabonese people towards greater justice, more equality and more democracy in the real sense and not just ideals and slogans of principle (such as the emergence of Ali Bongo)?

Since dubious power taken by Albert Bernard Bongo (now Omar Bongo) in 1968, the Army appears to be the guarantor of power with little variation in the changing political context. Part of the Army has been enriched because the generals consider themselves to be guarantors of the struggle against instability, so the guarantors of social peace, receiving physical and financial aid from France, for geostrategic, economic control and energy security reasons. Real democracy and economic management of populations has been abandoned in favor of a false democracy based on political corruption, manipulation, nepotism, embezzlement of public funds and mass enslavement of large sections of civil society. The quiet revolution underway in Gabon gives the impression that the Army and the Police are in an ambiguous and untenable in the medium and long term.

After the unsolved killing of Port-Gentil after the proclamation of the fraudulent election of Ali Bongo, the Gabonese were scared to demonstrate. The change of jackets of some political opponents did not help either to solidify the confidence of Gabonese to the political class. As if some wondered then what's to die for by the bullets of red berets (Berets rouges are one of the most brutal and feared part of the Army) and other mercenaries of Ali Bongo? In addition, the Government of the ruling party PDG is working hard to send the red berets beat people from the moment a small event is organized in a public place. All this climate of fear and suspicion has certainly nipped in the bud bursts of popular demonstrations in public places, it does not, however, destroyed the deep desire peaceful democratic change in a majority of Gabonese, even in an apparent silence.

In the actual political context nationaly and internationaly, the evolution of democracy in Gabon will depend in large part of the strong intervention of the Army or not. If the Gabonese see a sign, even a modest one, that the Army and the police have finally chosen the camp of democracy and the people, there is no doubt that political change (inevitable) will occur in Gabon a pace that has nothing to envy when departures of Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak occured.

The Gabonese army can not continue to play the ostrich with democracy forever. As in Egypt, if the country is on the verge of blood, Ali Bongo retain the hope of saving the fallen dynasty, but this hope of the entire family Bongo will have a very short time if the majority of the Chief of Staff of the Army made it clear to the clan of Bongo as his reign is over.

If the maintenance of a reactionary dictatorship in Gabon was the first choice for France and the hardcore supporters of Françafrique, it's not quite that of Barack Obama's America, even though the first months of Ali Ben to power seemed to indicate that the United States fully supports him. Undoubtedly, parliamentary democracy with alternation is the preferred mode of governance of the United States. Gabonese Army must listen and make the right choice, that of the people against tyranny.

As in Tunisia and Egypt, Gabon Army will decide what the clan of Bongo has accomplished over the weeks or months for a stay and decide whether it should continue to reprimand the slightest manifestation of the people without arms or remain on courts and markets to regulate or punish, if necessary, democracy granted or refused. We know that law and order is a sacred law of the Army. Ali Bongo is their King, Master and Supreme Leader, and the armed men obey him. But as in the Maghreb, the Army of Gabon can not continue forever to blindly obey orders to kill his own people which shows unarmed, for freedom, democracy and a better sharing of resources. After all, the vast majority of Gabonese military also lives in misery and distressing conditions!

Gabonese Army must know that history has been rewritten. There is one thing that is permanent, it is change. Yes, history can turn and give rise to new dynamics, reversing the reports previously considered permanently inscribed in stone or concrete.

Citoyen Libre

Gabonese civil society calls for democratic interference in Gabon

TO: The Presidents of the United States of America and France, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the President of the Commission of the African Union and President of the Commission of the European Union 

It is in the name of democracy, universal principle and foundation of freedoms that we send you this wake-up call, a call for help for our country Gabon. 

As you know, Gabon is in ruins. A widespread destruction caused by a criminal oligarchy in power for nearly half a century. 

This oligarchy political mafia organized a large-scale looting of the country's wealth and orchestrated a criminal policy of subjugation, of collective impoverishment of a population reduced to begging and bumnest or homelessness. 

The oligarchic system has organized corruption in people's attitudes and way of thinking: this enterprise is planned by ideologues of this unique thinking criminal regime. Ultimately, noble people of this country are in fact driven to resignation, to the renunciation of their legitimate rights, in short, to despair. 

For 43 years, everyday life in Gabon is a tragedy. Gabonese people are deprived of their basic rights in education, health, access to housing and decent jobs... 

 All socio-economic indicators show the miserable situation of Gabon and the inability of those in power to offer them a minimum living wage. In truth, the leaders of Gabon were enriched in billions of dollars at the expense of two-thirds of the population. These stolen resources were placed in tax havens and Western banks. 

The many reforms announced with great fanfare by Mr. Ali Bongo, experienced no realization on the ground. Meanwhile, the president will travel the world at taxpayers expense. His trips are estimated in the hundreds of billions of CFA francs. 

Against all odds, in defiance of the noble claims of social or civil sectors, the President bought a palace valued more than 100 million euros in Paris. This abject expense is a real humiliation toward Gabonese people. 

Facing these vile acts in nature and in scope, civil society expresses its strong disapproval of the mismanagement of Gabon by the corrupt ruling clan. 

Civil society is committed to the international community and the people of Gabon to the end to defend the dignity of the individual harmed in this country. 

Gabon, like Egypt of Moubarack and Tunisia of Ben Ali, is chained, paralyzed and imprisoned in a real system of hunger. 

As in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal, Gabon wants a democratic rule of law, transparent preserving democratic freedoms of its citizens. 

The Gabonese want full democracy, based on the will of the people to determine their future and build a new governance model. 

With the above, organizations of civil society in Gabon, urges the international community including the United States Government, the French Government, the Security Council of the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union, to exercise democratic right to interfere in Gabon to allow the holding of free and credible elections in a transparent and peaceful environment. 

This request is justified by the current deadlock of the democratic process in the country by a clan that refuses any possibility of alternation by free and transparent elections, and confiscation of regulatory instruments of democracy. In 2009, following the death of Mr Omar Bongo Ondimba, the second head of state, elections were held in conditions most questionable and resulted in a monarchical succession to power through the son of the late president and the maintenance of a corrupt and oligarchic system responsible for the holistic disaster of the nation of Gabon. 

At this moment, the involvement of the international community becomes crucial because Gabon is now on the brink of implosion since so many violations of fundamental rights of citizens and the endless frustrations of the people by an arrogant management of state by this oligarchy have become legion. Indeed, the Gabonese people as a whole has the burning desire to be free of tyranny and a corrupt system of slavery. We demand the dismantling of the system that crushes an entire people and that dehumanizes children in this country. Even if the system has changed its head of state, the political structure in its ideological and totalitarian organization still remains in place. It is for this reason that the interference of the international community in Gabon is a sine qua non condition to avoid chaos and anarchy.

Libreville, 29 June 2011

(Les signataires, des membres de SENA, CONASYSED, FESEENA, BrainForest, Publiez ce que vous Payez, ROLBG, OND, TV+, Mkulu Le Messager / Le temps, Echos du Nord, SEEPS, SAEG, USDS / USAP, Africa n°1)

 

Lettre d'interpellation de la société civile gabonaise pour une ingérence démocratique au Gabon

Aux  présidents des Etats unis d’Amérique, et  de la République Française, au Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies, au Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine et au Président de la Commission de l’Union Européenne

 

C’est au nom de la démocratie, principe universel et fondement des libertés, que nous vous adressons ce cri d’alarme, cet appel au secours en faveur de notre pays le Gabon.

 

Comme vous le savez, le Gabon est en ruine. Une ruine généralisée provoquée par une oligarchie criminelle au pouvoir depuis près d’un demi-siècle.

 

Cette oligarchie politico mafieuse a organisé un pillage à grande échelle des richesses  du pays et orchestrée une politique criminelle d’assujettissement, d’appauvrissement collectif d’une population réduite à la mendicité et considérablement clochardisée.

 

Le système oligarchique a organisé  la corruption des mentalités et de la pensée : Cette entreprise est planifiée par les idéologues de pensée unique du régime  criminel. Au bout du compte, les peuples nobles de ce pays sont de fait poussés à la résignation, à la renonciation de leurs droits légitime, bref, au désespoir.

 

Depuis 43 ans, le quotidien des gabonais est une véritable tragédie. Les gabonais sont privés de leurs droits fondamentaux en matière d’éducation, de santé, d’accès au logement et à un emploi décent…

 

Tous les indicateurs socio-économiques démontrent la situation misérable des gabonais et l’incapacité du pouvoir en place à leur offrir le minimum vital. En vérité, les dirigeants gabonais se sont enrichis en milliards de dollars au détriment des deux tiers de la population. Ces ressources volées ont été placées dans les paradis fiscaux et les banques occidentales.

 

Les nombreuses reformes annoncées en grande pompe par  Monsieur Ali BONGO, n’ont connu aucune matérialisation sur le terrain. Pendant ce temps, le président se ballade dans le monde entier au frais du contribuable. Ses déplacements se chiffrent en centaines de milliards de francs CFA.

 

Contre vents et marées, au mépris des nobles revendications des secteurs sociaux, le Président s’est acheté un palace de plus de 100 millions d’euros à paris. Cette dépense abjecte est une véritable humiliation  à l’égard du peuple gabonais.

 

Face ces actes ignobles par leur nature et de par leur portée, la société civile marque sa ferme désapprobation de la gestion calamiteuse du Gabon par le clan véreux au pouvoir.

 

La société civile s’engage devant  la communauté internationale et le peuple gabonais à défendre jusqu’au bout la dignité de la personne humaine bafouée dans ce pays.

 

Le Gabon, comme l’Egypte de MOUBARACK et  la Tunisie de BEN ALI est enchaîné, paralysé et prisonnier d’un véritable système famélique.

 

Comme en Egypte, en Tunisie, en Libye, en Cote d’ivoire et au Sénégal, les gabonais veulent un Etat de droit démocratique, transparent qui préserve  les libertés démocratiques de ses citoyens.

 

Les gabonais veulent une démocratie totale, fondée sur la volonté du peuple à déterminer son avenir et construire un nouveau modèle de gouvernance.

 

Fort de ce qui précède, les organisations de la société civile gabonaise, appelle la communauté internationale notamment le Gouvernement des Etats Unis, le Gouvernement français, le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies, l’Union Africaine et l’Union Européenne, à exercer le droit d’ingérence démocratique au Gabon afin de permettre la tenue des élections libres, crédibles dans un environnement transparent et paisible.

 

Cette demande se justifie par le blocage actuel du processus démocratique dans le pays par un clan qui refuse toute possibilité d’alternance par les élections libres et transparentes, et la confiscation des instruments de régulation de la démocratie. En 2009, suite au décès de Monsieur Omar BONGO ONDIMBA, deuxième chef de l’Etat, des élections se sont déroulées dans les conditions les plus contestables et ont consacré une succession monarchique au pouvoir à travers le fils du président défunt et le maintien du régime corrompu, oligarchique et responsable du désastre holistique de la nation gabonaise.

 

A ce moment là, l’implication de la communauté internationale devient  alors vitale car le Gabon  est désormais au bord du gouffre et de l’implosion, tellement les violations des droits fondamentaux des citoyens, les frustrations incessantes du peuple par une gestion orgueilleuse de l’Etat par cette oligarchie sont devenues légion. En effet, le peuple gabonais dans sa globalité n’a plus pour désir ardent que de se libérer de la tyrannie et d’un système d’esclavage corrompu. Nous demandons le démantèlement  de ce système qui écrase tout un peuple et qui déshumanise les enfants de ce pays. Certes le système a changé de tête, mais la structure politique dans son orientation idéologique et son organisation totalitaire demeure en place. C’est pour cette raison que l’ingérence de la communauté internationale au Gabon est la condition sine qua non pour éviter le chao et l’anarchie.

 

Fait à Libreville, le 29 juin 2011