The United States Is closely watching the situation in Gabon following a military coup, the latest in a series of undemocratic power seizures in Africa, the White House said Wednesday.

“It’s deeply concerning. We were going to watch this closely, and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to support the idea of democratic ideals that are expressed by the African people,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

“It’s too soon to call this a trend,” Kirby said of the several coups in the past year.

However, he said, “It’s obviously deeply concerning here, yet another country where military officers have taken these dangerous and reckless steps, and attempted takeovers of democratically elected governments.” (AFP)

•Residents holding Gabon national flags celebrate in Libreville on August 30, 2023 after a group of Gabonese military officers appeared on television announcing they were “putting an end to the current regime” and scrapping official election results that had handed another term to veteran President Ali Bongo Ondimba.