The military coup in Niger / The military coup in Gabon

Police officers in Niger. Sam Mednick / AP  

 

The military coup in Niger  

The junta in Niger opens the airspace after a month  

 

The military junta in Niger is opening the airspace after keeping it closed for just under a month, a spokesman for the transport ministry said, according to Reuters.  

 

The airspace was closed after the West African organization Ecowas threatened to intervene militarily if the coup plotters did not surrender. The military regime did not give in, but Ecowas still did not intervene. Niger has not given any explanation as to why the airspace is now being reopened.  

 

Many European airlines, which normally fly over Niger, have had to take detours around the large country in the past month.  

 

The junta and coup leader Abdourahmane Tchiani seized power from elected leader Mohamed Bazoum in late July. 

 

 

 

Curtsy map  

 

 

General Brice Clothaire Oligui Nguema in connection with the August 30 coup. AP  

 

The military coup in Gabon 

The coup leader in Gabon has been sworn in as president  

 

The coup leader in Gabon has now been sworn in as interim president. In front of cheering supporters, General Brice Nguema formally took over power, writes the BBC, which thinks the cheering signals that there is some support for the military. In the speech, he promised free elections and a vote on a new constitution. 

 

Nguema seized power in the country after toppling President Ali Bongo, who recently won a criticized election. Before that, Ali Bongo's father ruled the country for 41 years until his death in 2009. 

 

The question, however, is how big the change really will be, even though the Bongo dynasty ends after 55 years. According to the BBC, the coup leader has spent large parts of his life in Ali Bongo's closest circle - and he is also believed to be his cousin.