Gabon's Coup Leaders Offer Anticorruption Masterclass
Gabon's military junta, which seized power last August, proudly announced 20-year corruption sentences for Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, wife of the ousted president, and her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin. The BBC, ever so dutiful, highlights the 'speedy' two-day trial. What the mainstream conveniently glosses over is that the Bongo family ruled Gabon for 56 years, a period during which France maintained
significant economic and military interests. The Bongos were long-time allies, with Omar Bongo, the father, reportedly receiving direct French support to maintain power while resource revenues, particularly from oil, flowed freely to Paris and select elites. Is this newfound zeal for 'anticorruption' a genuine turning point, or merely the new guard consolidating power by purging the old, with a
quick, media-friendly trial? One might wonder how quickly similar corruption trials would proceed against Western-backed regimes, say, in Ukraine, where billions in aid are flowing and corruption remains a persistent concern. The speed of justice seems directly proportional to whether a government is aligned with Western interests at any given moment.