On August 30, a group of Gabonese soldiers appeared on television, declaring a takeover of power and an end to the current government.
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| Military armored vehicles in the capital Libreville, Gabon. (Source: AFP) |
Specifically, appearing on Gabon 24 television (Gabon) in the early morning of August 30, the above group of soldiers declared to represent the entire security and defense forces of the Central African country. These people declared to cancel the previous election results, close all borders and dissolve all state agencies and organizations.
“In the name of the Gabonese people... we decided to protect peace by ending the current government,” an officer said.
Meanwhile, a Reuters reporter said he heard gunfire in the capital Libreville. There was no immediate comment from the country's government .
Notably, the move came shortly after the Gabonese Electoral Center (CGE) announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba had won a third term with 64.27% of the vote. His main rival, politician Albert Ondo Ossa, came in second with 30.77%.
The results were announced after days of delay, prompting accusations of fraud from the opposition, while the government denied the allegations.
Tensions had been high in the country following presidential, parliamentary and local elections on August 26. Authorities had imposed a curfew and shut down the internet indefinitely to “avoid violence and misinformation”.
French-language stations such as France24 , TV5 and RFI in Gabon were also forced to stop broadcasting due to being accused by authorities of “reporting false news”.
In 2009, President Ali Bongo (64 years old) took over the leadership from his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had been in power for 41 years. In 2016, this politician was re-elected for a 7-year term.
In April, the country's parliament amended the constitution to reduce the presidential term to five years.
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