24th October, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The United States Government has suspended most of its assistance to Gabon following the recent coup which toppled a democratically elected government.
On 30 August 2023, a coup d’état occurred in Gabon shortly after the announcement that incumbent president Ali Bongo Ondimba had won the general election held on 26 August.
Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State, Matthew Miller, in a statement on Tuesday said the U.S. has concluded that a military coup d’état has taken place in Gabon.
“Pursuant to section 7008 of the Department of State’s annual appropriations act, the United States is suspending most U.S. assistance to the Government of Gabon.
“This foreign assistance has been temporarily paused by the United States since September 26.
“We underscore that our humanitarian, health, and education assistance will continue to benefit the people of Gabon,” he said.
Miller added that the United States reaffirmed its commitment to support Gabon in conducting a timely and durable transition to democratic civilian governance and advancing shared security interests in the Gulf of Guinea.
“We will resume our assistance alongside concrete actions by the transitional government toward establishing democratic rule. We will continue to work closely with the Gabonese people and regional partners.
“The United States stands with the Gabonese people in their aspirations for democracy, prosperity, and stability,” he said.