A group of military officers in Gabon have announced that they have taken control of the country on behalf of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions. Ali Bongo Ondimba’s close associates have been arrested and he is said to be under ‘house arrest’. This comes after he was declared the winner of the recent election and given a third term.
The officers, who called themselves the Committee for Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI), said on state television that the results of the August 26 election had been falsified and that they had decided to “put an end to the current regime.”
They also announced that state institutions had been dissolved with immediate effect, the election results annulled and the country’s borders closed.
Gunshots were heard in the capital Libreville after the announcement of the coup, French broadcaster RFI reported.
In the western town of Port Gentile, thousands of residents poured into the streets to celebrate, according to witnesses.
A few hours earlier the electoral authority had declared Bongo the winner of the election with 64.27% of the vote.
His main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, received 30.77%, the authority said.
The government blocked internet access while votes were being counted over the weekend. Additionally, a curfew was imposed from 7 pm (1800 GMT) to 6 am and several French radio stations were banned from broadcasting.
The election was also marked by the absence of international observers and foreign journalists’ requests for accreditation were refused.
Bongo won the last election in 2016 by just over 5,000 votes. Post-election riots broke out amid allegations of vote-rigging.
There have long been accusations of corruption towards the Bongo family, reportedly among the wealthiest in the world. They own a private fleet of planes, several luxury cars and dozens of residences in France worth millions of dollars, according to the non-governmental organization Transparency International.
Despite its oil wealth, a large part of the population in the country of around 2.3 million lives in poverty.
The coup in the former French colony is a further blow to French and EU relations with African countries.
The situation in Gabon is still developing and it is unclear what the long-term implications of the coup will be. However, it is clear that this is a significant event that will have a major impact on the country and the region.
(With inputs from agencies)
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
