France in their popular media known has France24 has expressed concern about the safety of several of its nationals following violence in its former colony Gabon triggered by a disputed presidential election.

Recalled that fighting erupted in Gabon last week after the incumbent President Ali Bongo was announced the winner. At least six people have been killed and more than 1,000 arrested during the unrest. Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in a statement that “Arrests have taken place in the past few days. France is without news about several of its compatriots,” France has had a military base in Gabon since independence in 1960. Gabon is also home to 14,000 French citizens and many French companies have commercial interests there, including in the oil industry.

BaretaNews notes that Africans are in support of Ali Bongo. They see Jean Ping as a puppet of the West and a possible repetition of the Ivory Coast situation with Quatarra.

Speaking to Cameroon’s Pan Africanist, Paul Jappa, he wrote ” Are the Cameroonian BIRs and the Chadian military personnel truly in Gabon as we hear? World war 1 & 2 have come and gone; if 3rd world war between Francophone Africa and France. Would France be buried in Gabon or would our leaders let us down again? Remember that it’s been rumored for some time now that Jean Ping had hired mercenaries from Angola and elsewhere. Is central Africa going down at last? Who’d be the winners and losers?

Political commentators say France is preparing its way for a possible military intervention to topple Ali Bongo and install Jean Ping in the disguise of saving its citizens. Are we seeing another Ivory Coast in Gabon?