Gabon has been partially suspended from the Commonwealth after military officers overthrew President Ali Bongo in a coup.
Commonwealth foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to make the decision.
Leaders urged Gabon to preserve the Commonwealth’s values and objectives, demanding that credible elections be held as soon as possible.
Gabon’s military ousted Mr Bongo from power shortly after he was declared winner of the 2023 presidential election.
Mr Bongo had ruled the oil-rich country since 2009, when he replaced his father, who had ruled for 41 years.
As military leaders took over, he was originally held under house arrest, but was eventually released and given permission to travel abroad for medical check-ups.
The foreign ministers, meeting as the Commonwealth ministerial action group, have asked Gabon to ensure Mr Bongo’s and his family’s safety, and have “strongly condemned the unconstitutional removal of the elected government from office.”
They said Gabon’s suspension was in place “pending the restoration of democracy”. It excludes Gabon from all Commonwealth intergovernmental meetings and events, including ministerial and heads of government meetings.
The new prime minister, Raymond Ndong Sima, was installed as interim prime minister in September, after Gen Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the coup against Mr Bongo, became Gabon’s transitional president.
Speaking lately, Mr Sima said the country should hold fresh elections within two years.
Commonwealth ministers gave the new leaders of Gabon two years from 30 August 2023 to hold credible elections. They added in the statement that if progress was not made in that time, the country may be removed from the group altogether.
Despite the coup’s condemnation by other African and Western governments, citizens appear to have welcomed the change.
Many Gabonese questioned Mr Bongo’s choice to run for a third term. Following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had monopolised the president for more than 40 years, he first came to power in elections 14 years ago.
After he suffered a stroke in October 2018, several questioned his ability to deliver effective leadership.
