Free Republic

Army officers have appeared on national television in Gabon to say they have taken power. They said they were annulling the results of Saturday's election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner. The electoral commission said Mr Bongo had won just under two-thirds of the votes in an election the opposition argued was fraudulent. His overthrow would end his family's 53-year hold on power in Gabon. Gabon is one of Africa's major oil producers, while nearly 90% of the country is covered by forests. It joined the Commonwealth in June 2022, becoming one of its few members not...

For purposes of withholding funding, it should not be so characterized.There have been many Coups d'état and other more or less related events have been given that label. Generally, coups have involved the military (1) taking over and (2) then running a country (3) indefinitely. Here's a definition from Wikipedia: A coup d'état (/ˌkuːdeɪˈtɑː/; plural: coups d'état), also known as a coup, a putsch, or an overthrow, is the sudden deposition of a government,[1][2][3][4] usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to depose the extant government and replace it with another body, civil or military. A coup d'état is considered successful when the usurpers establish their dominance....

Niger voted on Tuesday in a referendum the president hopes will give him a mandate to change the constitution and rule beyond the end of his term. Mamadou Tandja’s growing authoritarianism has raised fears of unrest in Africa’s second biggest uranium producer. The European Union on Tuesday warned that Mr Tandja’s actions could lead it to cut aid. In recent months, the president has governed by decree after dissolving parliament and disregarding the Supreme Court’s ruling against his plans to extend his stay in office beyond a two-term limit. “In voting today [Tuesday], I believe I have responded to the...

HAVANA, July 11 (Reuters) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro predicted that Latin America would be swept by a wave of military coups if Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was not returned to power after his ouster in a June 28 coup. Castro, in a column published late on Friday on an Internet site run by Cuba's communist government, said right-wing military leaders trained by the United States could be encouraged to take up arms against their governments, depending on how the Honduras crisis turned out. "If President Manuel Zelaya is not returned to his post, a wave of coups threatens...

The Comoros: foreign troops unload on the island of Mohéli MORONI, 19 déc (AFP) - foreign troops unloaded Wednesday morning on the island comorienne of Mohéli, and took control of the army, the gendarmerie and the police force, according to testimonys' on the spot, of which that of a former minister, contacted on the telephone. The attackers launched leaflets affirming that they were "the army of the United States" and that their intervention was related to the fight against terrorism, according to inhabitants' of the capital, Fomboni, of which the former minister Mohamed Hassanari. Military formation, of almost a ...

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Former Laotian Gen. Vang Pao, accused of being the ringleader in a plot to overthrow the communist government of Laos, was freed on bail Friday. U.S. Magistrate Dale Drozd ordered the 77-year-old leader of the Hmong community in America released on a $1.5 million bond after relatives agreed to post four properties in Sacramento, Fresno and Westminster as collateral. Several hundred Hmong gathered outside the federal courthouse cheered as the former general walked out the front door and through the crowd. Most were wearing white, and some held signs and balloons that said "Welcome home." Others waved...

South Africa's National Assembly has approved a law requiring that citizens working as security staff abroad must seek permission from the government. It will also make South Africans seek permission to serve in foreign armies. Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said the law was to prevent mercenaries from subverting democracy across Africa but opponents say it is too stringent. South Africa is trying to get rid of a reputation as a haven for mercenaries and coup plotters. The authorities estimate at least 4,000 South Africans are employed in conflict areas, and several have been found to be involved in attempted coups....