US suspending most foreign aid to Gabon after formal coup designation

The U.S. government is suspending most financial assistance to Gabon after a military coup earlier this year. State Department spokesperson Matthew Milller said in a statement that humanitarian aid will continue. The official coup d’etat designation comes nearly two months after President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s overthrow. Ondimba had served two terms since coming to power in 2009 after the death of his father, who ruled the country for 41 years. Earlier this month, the U.S. took similar steps in Niger, suspending counterterrorism assistance and military training more than two months after mutinous soldiers seized power.