France has joined the chorus of countries and organizations calling for calm and acceptance of the result, but Paris insists it will not intervene in its former colony.

ends intro

Foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault says France’s days of meddling in African countries’ politics are over.

They’re Africa’s partners but they don’t want to intervene in countries’ internal affairs. That would be disrespectful of Africans, they don’t ask for it.

France acts only when countries request Paris’ help.

At least  14 000 French citizens live in Gabon which hosts a French military base with 450 troops.

In the era of La Francafrique, when Paris played puppet-master in African countries decades after post-colonial independence, it propped up leaders like President Ali Bongo’s father in exchange for pushing business to French firms.

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