Gabonese Prime Minister portrays the current political situation in his country
Speech by Raymond Ndong Sima, Prime Minister of Gabon, at the 78th Session of the UNGA. teleSUR
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00:00 (Applause.)
00:09 (Via interpreter) Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies,
00:16 ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, I'd like to extend my warm congratulations to
00:23 you on your election to the presidency of this 78th Ordinary Session of the General
00:28 Assembly.
00:30 I further pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Xabar Korozi, for his work during his
00:37 term.
00:39 And I'd like to express the confidence of my country to the Secretary-General, António
00:43 Guterres, for his bold and multiform action to implement reforms, to achieve and accelerate
00:54 the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals on the one hand, and to promote international
01:00 peace and security.
01:03 Mr. President, I stand before this august assembly in an unprecedented context for my
01:11 country – my country which has emerged from trials and tribulations following a chaotic
01:19 electoral process which was interrupted on 30 August by the security and defense forces.
01:27 This intervention was of course condemned by the international community as a violation
01:33 of the democratic requirements for the handover of power.
01:37 It would, however, be useful to provide a balance of information and to allay some suspicions.
01:44 It would be useful to recall specifically what the Gabonese political context was which
01:50 preceded this takeover of power and justified it.
01:54 It would be a mistake, from our point of view, to hand down judgments or to lump things together
02:02 and not take into account the reality of our context.
02:06 If I may, first and foremost, I'd like to recall for everyone here the experience of
02:11 the 2016 presidential election, and the current situation is a result of that election.
02:18 Everyone will recall that election was reported on by the electoral mission of the European
02:24 Union, which looked at the circumstances around it and denounced it as a fraudulent process,
02:30 one that was insincere and stripped of any transparency, with results that challenged
02:36 the very laws of statistics.
02:38 It was characterized especially by violence, the loss of human life in significant numbers,
02:45 and damage to goods for all.
02:48 In order to mitigate the situation, the social cost of which was quite high, in 2017 a dialogue
02:57 was organized which ended up in a return to elections twice.
03:05 This small concession to democracy, which was once again postponed to 2013 before it
03:12 could even take place, so the regime had no intention of renouncing its fraudulent strategy.
03:21 Between 2017 and 2022, there were no preparations made for the elections that were supposed
03:27 to be held according to the Constitution at the very latest, on the 26th of August, 2023.
03:35 The elections, the preparations only started in February of 2023 and led to an unimaginable
03:42 number of twists and distortions in the constitutional framework, the legislative and regulatory
03:47 framework for the elections, including when the election process had already been launched.
03:52 I could mention just a couple of examples in a non-exhaustive list of them.
03:58 Let me start with the return to one round of elections.
04:03 The choice of a president of the Gabonese election center, which was notoriously partial
04:08 as a member of – known to the party in power.
04:14 The absence of reliability of the electoral lists, which had people on it that were known
04:19 to be deceased.
04:21 The suppression of provisions that allowed for the representation of candidates in several
04:26 different locations with a flagrant violation of the principle of equality, modification
04:31 of the violation of the simple principle of the hierarchy of norms and legislative provisions
04:38 as part of the laws set forth for elections.
04:44 And the merging of candidates for presidential and legislative elections.
04:49 We can see that these modifications were rejected without any review by a constitutional court
04:57 when the people appealed for justice.
05:01 Any observer who is attentive, honest, and in good faith of Gabonese political life in
05:06 recent years would be fully aware of the unraveling of the situation.
05:12 Everyone within the Gabonese opposition sought out diplomatic missions on the ground in August,
05:21 and then on the 9th of August, 2023, went to the special representative of the Secretary
05:25 General of the United Nations for Africa, Central Africa, residing in Libreville, to
05:31 try to alert him to the shape of things in the electoral process and the danger of maintaining
05:41 the state of affairs.
05:44 And I need to state this here without any ambiguity.
05:48 Neither the political actors nor the voters themselves – no one was prepared to accept
05:52 once again electoral misconduct.
05:56 This determination, which was known to all, did not prevent the Gabonese Center for Elections
06:02 from sending urns under its exclusive control and that were not sealed, and then to proceed
06:11 to fraudulent records of the elections and the results.
06:18 And the results obtained in this manner could only lead to, after they were announced, clashes.
06:27 Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, given the situation, the defense and security forces
06:34 had a choice.
06:35 They could either prepare to repress the protests, running the risk that sooner or later they
06:42 would be persecuted in international courts for their responsibility, or they could choose
06:48 to decide to interrupt a fraudulent and dangerous electoral process, one that was dangerous
06:55 to national cohesion.
06:57 They chose the second option in order to put an end to the risk of a fire which would have
07:03 engulfed the very foundation of Gabonese society and that would have spared – not have spared
07:10 the many foreign people living in Gabon.
07:14 They chose what was responsible.
07:16 They chose the second option to stop the possibility of a fire which, as I said before, would have
07:24 completely overwhelmed Gabonese society.
07:30 It would not have been reasonable or responsible to allow such a situation to continue.
07:37 The ensuing cycle of violence would have led to overwhelming disaster.
07:43 As a result, this military intervention, without any bloodshed, without any material damage,
07:49 was seen as the lesser of two evils.
07:53 And the people approved it, with a very large majority, as reflected by the spontaneous
08:01 outbreaks of jubilation that were seen in images broadcast around the world and whereby
08:08 the majority of the political class was actually relieved to have avoided an uncertain outcome.
08:17 Henceforth, to condemn such a process would be to support the idea that it would have
08:22 been better to allow the clashes and conflict to take place and then to be counting the
08:28 number of victims afterwards, since no one in the opposition, no one was prepared to
08:33 allow this election to be hijacked once again.
08:38 Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, while this intervention was necessary, we could
08:43 not be satisfied with allowing the status quo to prevail.
08:47 Without any delay, in an inclusive manner, we need to prepare reform and return to an
08:53 ordinary institutional process that would allow for the handing over of power through
08:58 elections.
09:00 The transition government's roadmap, transition government that I have been leading for the
09:04 last two weeks, is geared to restoring confidence and to making major correction to the electoral
09:11 framework and to restore institutions and prepare them for implementing these reforms.
09:17 The expected deliverables will come following national conferences, adoption of a new constitution
09:24 that reflects our social contract, and enacting laws that include legislative elections that
09:34 lead to free, transparent, and credible elections.
09:37 And that's why already next week we have planned a press conference where I will at that time
09:44 indicate the timeline for consultations with the political class as a whole and civil society.
09:50 And I will take that opportunity to outline the program and schedule of the various stages
09:57 that will lead to new elections.
09:59 And from this point of view, what Gabon needs most is encouragement and accompaniment to
10:06 accomplish these tasks in a timeline that everyone sees as reasonable.
10:10 And I take this opportunity then to launch a solemn appeal to all of our bilateral, regional,
10:16 and multilateral partners to accompany us and support the people's desire for national
10:24 health with a view to strengthening the rule of law and democracy for shared prosperity.
10:30 At this turning point in our destiny and in our history, the Gabonese people are united
10:36 in its support for the Committee for Transition and Restoration of Institution and will remember
10:42 with appreciation the solidarity and the trust of the peoples of Africa and around the world
10:48 who stand at their side in order to preserve our place in the concert of nations.
10:53 (Applause.)
10:54 President, 78 years after the UN was created, an endless cycle of crises continues to cloud
11:04 aspirations and darken the horizon for sustainable peace between and within nations.
11:10 The multiple crises of solidarity, security crises, humanitarian crises, health crises,
11:17 climate crises, geopolitical crises fuel sentiments of mistrust vis-a-vis international institutions
11:24 and mechanisms.
11:26 Indeed, the system of collective and indivisible security advocated for by the United Nations
11:34 Charter patently appears as fiction in numerous regions of the world, prey to the upheavals
11:41 of war, particularly in Africa and the region of Sahel, the Horn of Africa, the region of
11:45 the Great Lakes.
11:47 They have become true epicenters of instability.
11:51 In the majority of these regions, predation for natural resources is a significant source
11:57 of conflict, to a point where these resources become a real curse for the countries that
12:02 possess them.
12:03 President, today we are at an inflection point which requires each and every member of the
12:09 international community to take ownership once again of the objectives of the UN Charter,
12:16 and it requires that they reconcile -- a reconciliation with the aspirations of peoples of the world.
12:20 It is crucial to reframe the social contract between nations, whatever their size or population,
12:27 bearing in mind that every people counts.
12:33 We must, above all, recalibrate how we project our identity as peoples of the world, prioritizing
12:40 dialogue each and every time over fighting, prioritizing cooperation over the spirit of
12:46 us versus them.
12:47 We must, without further ado, carry out a real structural transformation of the peace
12:52 and security architecture of our organization and adapt mechanisms for promoting peace and
12:58 security to a global context marked by ever-changing crises and conflicts.
13:04 This is why the theme of this session is so relevant.
13:08 It is focused on the need to rebuild confidence and to reignite solidarity to accelerate the
13:13 implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
13:17 Mr. President, Gabon reaffirms that prevention is a tool that is more than essential.
13:24 It must be at the heart of our actions if we wish to see consolidated and lasting peace.
13:30 The efforts of the international community in terms of prevention have so far been slow,
13:36 ill-adapted and underfunded.
13:39 Indeed, the absence of sufficient resources for the work of our organization for prevention
13:46 and peace building has alas contributed to a resurgence of crises during transitions
13:56 or it has given rise to new conflicts.
13:58 Our generation has responsibility towards future generations to leave them a world that
14:04 is safer, a world where the threats to peace and security linked to the proliferation of
14:12 weapons of mass destruction has been curbed.
14:14 We should leave the world without a nuclear threat.
14:16 President, there is still a considerable gap between our actions and our commitments.
14:23 It is time to bridge this gap, particularly on the crucial issue of financing climate
14:28 action.
14:30 Gabon has invested for decades on the preservation of biodiversity and has shown constant commitment
14:39 to the fight against climate change.
14:42 New financial debt for nature compacts provide opportunities to increase budgets allocated
14:50 to protect biodiversity and to respond to the unsustainable debt of developing countries
14:55 and to fight climate change.
14:57 Through this new green financing mechanism, my country has just benefited from a restructuration
15:02 of 3% of its debt in return for a commitment to invest $163 million to preserve our marine
15:10 ecosystems.
15:11 We must go further in this vein.
15:14 I invite, therefore, international financial partners to increase the numbers of initiatives
15:20 to convert debt so that we can address the challenges of global warming, the loss of
15:26 biodiversity and sustainable development.
15:29 It's through a multilateral approach and by reviewing how we respond to these challenges
15:33 that we'll be able to effectively address the multiform challenges that are standing
15:39 before humanity.
15:40 President, the Agenda 2030 is our shared roadmap to address global challenges.
15:48 However, with less than 10 years to go, progress is unequal and insufficient.
15:56 Poverty, hunger, social inequality, shortcomings in terms of health and education, lack of
16:02 sufficient funding for the SDGs, all of this is seriously jeopardizing the implementation
16:08 of this ambitious agenda.
16:12 Throughout the transition period that I'm leading, I plan on redoubling my country's
16:16 efforts to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through strengthening in a
16:22 practical and pragmatic way our national policies and also through encouraging public-private
16:27 partnerships that are innovative.
16:29 Also, I intend to focus on local action carried out by authorities, civil society and the
16:35 private sector, fully involving citizens, particularly young people and women.
16:41 It is crucial that the international community be able to increase its support to developing
16:46 countries.
16:47 Further funding is indeed necessary, particularly for the most vulnerable countries.
16:54 The various different summits that have been organized in the sidelines of this session,
16:59 particularly on financing for development, climate ambition, universal health coverage,
17:04 are all an opportunity for the international community to translate goodwill into joint
17:10 action and to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.
17:14 President, within the United Nations system, exclusion and marginalization loom large over
17:20 our efforts to coexist.
17:22 Africa must be able to find its rightful place as a fully-fledged actor on the international
17:28 stage and not simply a stake for the world's powers.
17:34 Indeed, more than 78 years after the creation of the UN, the world has completely changed.
17:41 The international context has completely changed.
17:44 The geopolitical landscape has completely changed.
17:47 The nature of war has literally been transformed.
17:51 Technology has completely revolutionized our day-to-day lives.
17:54 But the structure of our institutions essentially remains unchanged, particularly in terms of
18:00 our collective security.
18:03 To address the challenges of the future, our security architecture must reflect current
18:08 and future realities.
18:10 We must update our international institutions as well as our mentalities, how we envisage
18:17 lasting peace, shared prosperity, and coexistence.
18:20 We must reinvent solutions to contemporary threats, particularly climate change and cyber
18:28 insecurity.
18:30 We must.
18:31 When faced with a crisis of international solidarity, which is fueling adjacent crises
18:36 on the economic, humanitarian, health, or food fronts, we cannot address these challenges
18:45 of this century with the tools from the last one.
18:49 President, in the light of these dark facts, we are convinced of the need to act, to implement
18:56 three fundamental axes that are able to make the multilateral system more credible and
19:02 more inclusive.
19:03 Firstly, we must reform the Security Council without further ado.
19:08 It must represent today's reality and the current and future challenges we face.
19:12 Secondly, we must also redefine our rules and our mechanisms so that we can address
19:19 how insecurity and terrorism are evolving.
19:21 It's a question of guaranteeing inclusivity and solidarity so that there is no more room
19:28 for double standards.
19:29 We must also more concertedly attack the root causes of conflicts and crises.
19:36 Thirdly, we must build a new social contract, a new global compact between generations,
19:42 between those who govern and those who are governed, between the global and the regional,
19:47 with a focus particularly on young people, women, civil society, and the private sector.
19:53 In this new social contract for the future, bridges must always replace walls.
20:00 Education must always loosen the stranglehold of ignorance and intolerance.
20:06 Socialism must prevail over unilateral stances.
20:10 And the logic of dialogue must always prevail over the logic of antagonism and jockeying
20:15 for influence.
20:16 President, to conclude, I wish to underscore our demand to respond to present and future
20:22 generations.
20:24 This intergenerational solidarity is a moral obligation vis-a-vis those who will have no
20:29 choice but to inherit the consequences of the choices we make today.
20:34 We owe them a response that assuages their fears, meets their needs and their legitimate
20:39 aspirations to live in peace, in dignity and prosperity.
20:44 It's with these existential questions in mind that we have taken -- shouldered our
20:48 responsibilities and that we have resolutely committed to put our action in line with the
20:55 expectations of our peoples.
20:56 Thank you very much.
20:57 (Applause.)
20:58 (The executive order is signed.)