Gabon: When you have father and son ruling for over 40 years, it is not democracy- Simeon Reef

Simeon Reef, Co-Founder of Foremost Magazine, expressed his perspective on the situation in Gabon, stating that the country cannot be considered a democracy due to the prolonged rule of a father and son for over 40 years.

During an interview on AIT’s Kakaaki program, Reef was asked for his reaction to the recent military coup in Gabon, particularly in light of the coup that occurred in Niger about a month prior.

Reef said, “I want to emphasize something: what is happening in Gabon is not a democracy. When a father and son continue to rule a country for more than four decades, that cannot be considered a democracy. It would be abnormal to label the events in Gabon as a democracy.”

He further mentioned that the Gabonese constitution had been imposed on the people, no longer reflecting their will. This situation, he believed, contributed to the recent events witnessed in the country. He went on to assert that the situation in Gabon serves as a reminder for Africa to establish strong leadership institutions that people can trust. Reef stressed that when people lose confidence in their leaders, the situation becomes far from ideal.

Simeon Reef explained that Gabon cannot be called a democracy because the same family has been in power for over 40 years. He pointed out that the recent events in Gabon and other similar situations call for African countries to create institutions that people have faith in for leadership. Without this trust, he emphasized, the situation will not be favorable.

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