Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, indicated that defense ministers of the bloc will discuss the situation in Gabon, and if a coup is confirmed there, it will bring further instability to the region. He described what is happening in West Africa as a major problem for Europe.
Speaking at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Toledo, Spain, he said, "If confirmed, this will be another military coup that increases instability across the entire region." He continued, "The entire area, starting from the Central African Republic to Mali, then Burkina Faso, and now Niger, and possibly Gabon, is in a very difficult situation. Certainly, the ministers will discuss in depth what is happening there and how we can enhance our policies regarding those countries. This is a major problem for Europe."
French government spokesperson Olivier Véran also condemned the military coup in Gabon, stating, "Paris demands respect for the election results there."
Borrell predicted that the operations of the Russian private military group Wagner will continue in Africa despite the death of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash. Borrell told reporters after the EU defense ministers' meeting in Toledo, Spain, "I am confident they will quickly find a replacement for the late Wagner leader. They will continue their activities in Africa because they represent the armed wing of Russia."
He added that Moscow cannot deploy regular troops to the region as that would be far too blatant. He continued, "Wagner continues to serve Putin and what they are doing certainly does not contribute to peace in the Sahel or to defending rights and freedoms in the region."
