Gabon’s recent coup marked another turning point in Africa’s broader upheaval, while an informal gathering of European Union defense ministers convened in Toledo to discuss the crisis and its wider implications. Early on Wednesday, participants acknowledged how Gabon’s situation is shaping European concerns. Spain’s delegation, alongside EU counterparts and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, described the crisis as pressing and noted that the bloc remains engaged through missions and cooperation with international bodies in nearby Sahel states such as Mali, Senegal, and the Central African Republic.
The agenda included Ukrainian support within the ongoing war, now entering its 19th month, alongside potential measures in response to the putschist government in power. Discussions sought to chart a clear path for action rather than deliver rapid decisions. Niger’s evolving role in the Gabon context illustrated how recent coups across West and Central Africa — Mali in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022, Chad in 2022, and Niger in 2023 — shape the broader security outlook. These developments fed EU concern about stabilizing institutions in the region while maintaining focus on Kyiv and its strategic needs.
Ukrainian War
During the informal session, the Spanish minister stressed that Spain and the EU would provide unwavering backing to Ukraine and the values it represents. The discussion followed news of a large Ukrainian drone strike that affected targets across regions including Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan, and areas near Moscow. The broader reach of these attacks underscored the strategic reach of the conflict and its proximity to NATO borders, underscoring the urgency of allied support. (Citation: European Union briefings, 2024).
The Toledo venue carried symbolic weight. It is a city deeply associated with Ukraine in many minds. The minister recalled past Ukrainian defense initiatives and the historical links to Spanish military and civilian structures that have hosted defense and foreign affairs discussions and training activities in recent days.
At the meeting, Borrell noted that Toledo would host at least a core group of EU defense ministers and senior officials who would press for continued backing of Ukraine. A Catalan European Commissioner urged Toledo to broaden the conversation to include security guarantees for Ukraine, emphasizing sustainable financial support and the means to provide it over the long term.
Even though the gathering was informal, it served as a forum for shaping ministerial views. Borrell reminded participants of the value of such settings as spaces for consensus-building and future planning rather than binding decisions on the spot.
Unstable Africa
Drawing on recent Central African developments, Borrell argued that the sub-Saharan crisis remains unresolved and outlined a plan to establish a legal framework for coordinated responses, including possible sanctions against Nigerien military authorities. He signaled readiness to discuss future steps without delving into specifics at that moment.
Observers note a dynamic shift in global influence, with Russia and China gaining ground while Europe faces a sequence of coups that threaten regional leverage. The core drivers of instability include poverty, terrorism, rapid population growth, and climate pressures. The EU envoy called for a move away from interventionist patterns of the past toward solutions crafted by Africans for Africa, signaling a potential shift in European policy philosophy.
Spain reinforced its stance by underscoring that Mali cannot be left out of the Sahel dialogue. The Spanish delegation stressed that EU involvement in the southern Sahel remains essential, though final decisions rest with EU institutions. Spain currently contributes a significant contingent to EUTM, the European Union Training Mission aimed at supporting security forces countering jihadist threats.
In Toledo, the discussion wove Ukraine’s needs with broader African affairs, with the name of Prigozhin surfacing as a reminder of the evolving Russian security landscape and the fragility of its power structure. The debate touched on strategic reforms and the potential reshaping of influence networks in the wake of internal upheavals in Russia, all framed within ongoing intelligence assessments and regional security considerations.