Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency has questioned the effectiveness of former Gabonese President Ali Bongo’s call for support hours after his ouster by a military junta.
Ablakwa’s critique was premised on the fact that just days prior to his removal from office, he had enacted measures that included shutting down the internet and banning some media outlets such as RFI, TV Monde, and France 24.
According to Ablakwa this suppression of media raises questions about the effectiveness of Bongo’s call for international support, as noise and outcry require access to information and communication channels such as the internet and media outlets.
“Gabon’s Ali Bongo who is calling for noise appears to have forgotten that a few days ago he shut down the internet & banned critical media such as RFI, TV Monde & France 24.
“How can noise make an impact without media & internet?
“True Democracy benefits both rulers & the ruled,” he said in a Twitter post on August 30, 2023.
In the wake of a coup, former President Ali Bongo released a video message appealing for international assistance following his abrupt removal from office by the military.
Bongo’s plea was shared on social media in a 51-second video, where he is seen speaking from an undisclosed location within the presidential palace.
The former president urged his global allies to “make noise” against his arrest, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, August 30.
This plea was accompanied by confirmation that he is currently isolated within the palace, his wife detained elsewhere, and his son taken into custody by the junta.
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