Coup: Six Facts To Know About Gabon

The world awoke to the shocking revelation of a fresh coup in the Central African country, Gabon, on Wednesday morning.

Naija News recalls that soldiers were said to have appeared on Gabonese national television in Gabon to announce that they had taken power.

The military also announced the annulment of Saturday’s election and the dissolution of the democratic institutions in the country.

Speaking on Gabon 1 and Gabon 24, the military spokesman said he spoke on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions.”

Below are some facts to know about Gabon

1 Gabon Is Over 10,000 Years

The first recorded people to inhabit present-day Gabon was the Pygmy tribe. However, it was gathered that they were ousted and absorbed by the Bantu people due to the Bantu migration to the region in the 18th century.

Archaeological findings reveal that present-day Gabon has witnessed human activities for over 400,000 years,

2 Gabon is a French Colony

In 1875, Italian-French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza first landed in the area with a mission to win Gabon-Congo and make it a French colony.

Brazza founded Franceville (one of the largest cities in Gabon) and became its colonial governor.

However, in 1885, the French officially took over the region; in 1910, the country became a territory of French Equatorial Africa, and in 1958 it gained autonomy.

3 Gabon’s official currency Is the Central African CFA Franc

The official currency of Gabon is the Central African CFA Franc, the only legal tender within the country.

The Central African CFA Franc is also used by six independent countries in Central Africa, namely Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic are the other nations that use the Central African CFA Franc.

4 Gabon’s first President was Léon M’ba.

The first president of the Republic of Gabon was Léon M’ba.

M’ba only governed for six years, between 1961 to 1967, until his death.

He was succeeded by his vice president, Omar Bongo, who happened to be the second president of the country and the longest-serving Gabonese president, who ruled for 42 years between 1967 and 2009.

5 The Bongos

The Bongo family has ruled Gabon for 55 years out of its 63 years since independence from France in 1960.

The ousted president, Ali Bongo, sought a third term in Saturday’s election. He took over when his father, Omar Bongo, died in 2009 after nearly 42 years in power.

6 Oil powerhouse

In the 1970s, the central African country discovered abundant oil reserves offshore. Oil accounts for 60 percent of the country’s revenues.

This has made Gabon one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of per-capita GDP, thanks mainly to oil revenues and the small population of 2.3 million.