Gabon military seizes power and dissolves institutions

Published August 30th, 2023 - 05:50 GMT
Gabon
Gabonese soldiers appearing on television on August 30, 2023 announcing they were "putting an end to the current regime" and the cancellation of an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won. During the announcement, AFP journalists heard gunfire ring out in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. (Photo by Gabon 24 / AFP)

ALBAWABA - A number of senior military officers in Gabon appeared on the Gabon 24 television channel earlier Wednesday to announce the suspension of elections and the closing of borders shortly after the election commission said President Ali Bongo had won a third term. 

This announcement comes after the Gabonese Election Centre (CGE) said on Wednesday that President Ali Bongo has won a third term in the presidential election with 64.27% of the vote.

Re-elected president Bongo was seeking to extend his family's 56-year reign in the country and to tighten the grip on the oil industry in the poverty-stricken African nation.  

In a televised speech, senior military officers said that they want to to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.

"Today our country is going through a grave political crisis," the military officers stated. "We have observed an "irresponsible, unforeseeable governance that has resulted in the steady degradation of social cohesion which risks leading the country to chaos. We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the regime in power," they added.

They also announced closing the country's borders till further notice. "We call on the people, the communities of brotherly nations that reside in Gabon as well as the Gabonese diaspora to remain calm and serene".

Gabon's government declared a statewide curfew and blocked internet access on Saturday (Aug. 26) evening, as voting in key national elections concluded.

The declaration came up the same day that voters cast ballots to elect new local leaders, national parliamentarians, and Gabon's next president.

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