Libreville, Wednesday December 27, 2023 (Infos Gabon) – In an op-ed published in the media, the etiquette consultant, Sandrine Souah Akerey, calls for a thaw in the current diplomatic quarrel between Libreville and Luanda.
A free thinker has stepped up to denounce the radicalism displayed by Angola towards Gabon concerning the sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) taken in the aftermath of the coup of 30 August 2023. During the summit of heads of state of this sub-regional organization held on December 15 in Djibloho in Equatorial Guinea, the Angolan president, Joao Lourenço, was particularly intransigent towards his Gabonese counterpart , Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, by throwing his weight behind the maintenance of said sanctions. A situation which has affected diplomatic relations between Libreville and Luanda to the point of pushing Gabon to recall its ambassador stationed in this country for consultation.
Faced with this diplomatic crisis, Sandrine Souah Akerey took up her pen to call on both parties to de-escalate the current impasse. The etiquette consultant, president of the “Wake Up Africa” movement and SGA Awln-Gabon strongly hopes that Gabon and Angola will renew their cooperation. “As a Bantu, a woman leader, a woman of mediation and peace, I call with all my best wishes for a rapprochement between the president of Angola and the president of the transition of Gabon. This could be done through appropriate and/or usual mechanisms such as consultations and sending emissaries,” she underlines.
According to her, “this temporary suspension should allow Gabon to review and improve its governance tools, its institutions, etc. in order to return to normal at the end of the transition.” “However, maintaining sanctions cannot prevent dialogue. These sanctions are, in my opinion, only a way of marking a pause in Gabon’s journey towards happiness. As salutary as they are, would the Gabonese people want the countries of the sub-region to encourage coups d’état or unconstitutional changes? We therefore need a de-escalation between Libreville and Luanda. Ban hate speech. Sow love and not violence and remember that Angola and Gabon belong to the same community of destiny: ECCAS and the African Union,” recommends Sandrine Souah Akerey.
