(MENAFN) The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has decided to remove sanctions imposed on Gabon in response to the ousting of President Ali Bongo in a coup last year, as announced by military authorities on Saturday.
The decision to lift the sanctions and restore Gabon's membership in ECCAS was made during a meeting in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, according to coup-installed Foreign Minister Regis Onanga Ndiaye. Although ECCAS has not issued an official statement regarding the decision, Burundi’s Foreign Minister Albert Shingiro, who attended the summit, confirmed the key decision via X (formerly Twitter).
Gabon, a former French colony, faced suspension from ECCAS and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council after military forces orchestrated a coup on August 30, preventing President Ali Bongo from serving a third term. Bongo had succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for over 40 years, and had served two terms as president since 2009.
Before his removal from power, Bongo had assumed the rotating chairmanship of ECCAS in February, with the bloc’s headquarters located in Libreville, Gabon. However, following the coup, the office was temporarily relocated to Malabo after Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo was appointed as chairperson.
Last September, ECCAS imposed punitive measures on Gabon, stipulating that the military government led by General Brice Oligui Nguema must organize elections within a year to restore constitutional order. However, in November, Nguema announced that elections would be held in August 2025, vowing to preserve the country's republican regime.
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