The prime minister of Sao Tome is in Equatorial Guinea to attend a Central African Economic Community (CEEAC) summit on the future of Gabon, having been suspended from the organization following the August coup.
Patrice Trovoada said that the “main issue on the agenda” of the summit of heads of state and government of the CEEAC countries is the hearing of the President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, who will present a report on the situation in Gabon. as an intermediary appointed by CEEAC to accompany the authorities of that country.
“He has done his job and will now submit a report and we will evaluate this report to see what position we take in relation to the Gabonese Republic, whether the suspension will continue, whether it will be lifted or whether we will take other measures,” Patrice said. Trovoada talks to reporters at Sao Tome airport ahead of his trip to Equatorial Guinea.
The Prime Minister of Sao Tome and Principe said the measures would not affect relations between Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon.
Patrice Trovoada stressed that the decision to suspend Gabon’s membership in ECCAS was taken shortly after the coup d’état, but then the interim president visited all ECCAS countries, with the exception of Angola, and “explained the situation”, and the Gabonese presented a transition calendar “adopted by mutual agreement” Gabonese political forces.”
“Now we will all analyze the situation together, assess the situation and see what next step we have to take, since the suspension also entails a number of difficulties for Gabon itself,” said the head of the government of Sao Tome.
Patrice Trovoada, who was in Gabon last month and met with the transitional president and visited ousted President Ali Bongo, stressed that the new Gabonese authorities are communicating with other international organizations about the situation in the country, so the CEEAC decision will always be based on “the best service the Gabonese people, as well as the democratic rule of law.”
“An event has happened, it is a fait accompli, now we must get out of this situation for the benefit of the Gabonese people,” defended Patrice Trovoada.
In October, Gabon’s interim President General Brice Olig Nguema visited Sao Tome and Principe and met with Sao Tome President Carlos Vila Nova and Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, saying the country was going through a new period after the “freedom coup” that ousted the former president.
“What some call a coup d’état, we in Gabon call it a coup for freedom. It was the will of the people that was expressed after undemocratic elections and the army made the choice to follow its people,” he said. said General Brice Oligi Nguema.
The interim president of Gabon called on the authorities of Sao Tome to support African states “to ease sanctions.”
“We count on the President of Sao Tome and Principe to negotiate wisely with our African counterparts so that together we can find solutions to the case of Gabon,” said General Brice Oligui Nguema.
Hours later, Sao Tome’s president said the country continued to condemn the violent takeover in Gabon but would consider a request for support from that country’s transitional president.
When asked whether Sao Tome and Principe would support the reintegration of Gabon into the ECCAS, the head of state of Sao Tome replied that he did not know, but would analyze the request at the state level.
“First we will see the internment at the level of the state of Sao Tome, which has its own structure, and we will make a decision. […] We are not interested in seeing the member from the outside. But this reintegration must be subject to the rules characteristic of democracy,” said Carlos Vila Nova.
The military seized power in Gabon on August 30, minutes after election authorities declared President Ali Bongo’s victory in a disputed August 26 election.
Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon (suspended member), Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are members of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC).
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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