In the four months since taking over in a coup, the junta leading Gabon appears to have consolidated power, relying on a multipronged approach intended to secure domestic popularity and the international legitimacy needed to distinguish from the military regimes that have seized power in other parts of Africa in recent years.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s position was already seen as tenuous before a slush fund scandal embroiled his ruling Liberal Democratic Party last month. It says a lot about the state of Japanese politics that Kishida remains the most viable option to lead the government until the LDP holds a leadership election in September.