Gabonese Military Officers Announce Coup After Bongo’s Third Term Re-Election

Military men have seized power in Gabon as officers appeared on national television to say they have ousted President Ali Bongo, who was re-elected to a third term in office in the Central African nation.

Soldiers in the country said they were annulling the results of Saturday’s election, which the opposition had denounced as “fraudulent”. All institutions of the republic have been dissolved by the 12 soldiers. “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime,” one of the soldiers was quoted as saying on TV channel Gabon 24, according to the BBC. The officer stated that the coup was launched due to “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos”. The soldiers further announced that the country’s borders has been shut; while also introducing themselves as members of the Committee of Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI), the soldiers also announced the closure of the country’s borders. Gabonese Election Centre (CGE), last Wednesday, declared Bongo the winner of the recent presidential election with 64.27% of the votes cast. https://twitter.com/ElvineBelinda/status/1696743792739491953 Michel Bonda, CGE head, said Bongo’s main challenger, Albert Ossa, had polled second with 30.77%. Tensions continue to rise in the Central African nation, with fears of unrest following the presidential and parliamentary elections. During the polls, a night-time nationwide curfew was imposed, while internet was cut off after the exercise. Bongo’s overthrow would end his family’s 53-year hold on power. He became president when his father, Omar, died in 2009. The 64-year-old  suffered a stroke in 2018, which sidelined him for almost a year and led to calls for him to step aside. This is coming barely 48 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron made a policy speech over the situation in Niger Republic, confirming that French envoy Sylvain Itte remains in Niamey. Macron made this disclosure while speaking with ambassadors in Paris, stating that Itte joined the conversation from Niger’s capital. This came after Itte was given a 48-hour deadline to leave the country last Friday following the post-coup situation in the country.