| The latest coups in Africa have exposed some uncomfortable truths: The continent is on the verge of unravelling, and the EU is not only unable or unwilling to help – it is most probably not even fully aware of the situation on the ground. Africa has now seen 33 military coups in 33 years. And at least 45 of the 54 nations across the African continent have experienced at least a single coup attempt since 1950, according to analyst data. Some of the coups have been more obvious than others. Yet, somehow, the West always appears to be taken by surprise by a continent that EU officials refer to as a ‘partner’ or ‘sister’ continent. The latest episode is in Gabon, where a group of senior military officers appeared on national television in the early hours of Wednesday (30 Wednesday) and said they had taken power after the state election body announced that President Ali Bongo had won a third term. It should not have come as a huge surprise. The Bongo family has held the presidency for over 55 years and the elections last Saturday, like those in 2019, were very close, despite being widely believed to be fraudulent. A coup attempt in early 2019 was foiled. It is not unlikely that other recent coups in Niger and Burkina Faso encouraged the army in Gabon to think they could pull it off. | 