Nairobi, April 19 -- Gabon's General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has struggled with military and civilian protocol.

On one foreign visit, he showed up at the host's presidential palace with a pistol openly strapped to his hip.

On another occasion, he shook hands with a visiting envoy while sitting down.

Bad manners, perhaps. But he has been learning politics fast since seizing power in a bloodless coup on August 30 last year.

Now peace talks are under way that should lead to constitutional and institutional reforms in the country, the last on the continent to suffer a coup.

The Central African country is one of several countries on the continent under military rule, the others being Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger. All bu...