GABON: A coup d’état in prospect after Ali Bongo’s re-election
The political situation in Gabon is uncertain. Following the announcement of the victory of outgoing President Ali Bongo with 64.27% of the votes cast, a group of a dozen soldiers announced on Wednesday that they were annulling the presidential election and dissolving “all the institutions of the Republic”.
Ali Bongo beat his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa and 12 other candidates in a single round of voting.
Two hours before the polls closed on Saturday, Albert Ondo Ossa denounced «fraud orchestrated by the Bongo camp».
A few minutes after the authority in charge of organising the election confirmed Ali Bongo’s re-election, a group of a dozen Gabonese military and police officers announced, in a statement read out on the Gabon 24 television channel, which is housed within the presidency, the cancellation of the elections, the dissolution of «all the institutions of the Republic» and the «end of the regime». During this statement, automatic weapons fire was heard in several districts of Libreville.
The military also announced the dissolution of the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court.
These announcements were accompanied by a call for calm. «We call on the population to remain calm and serene, and we reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon’s commitments to the international community», they said, adding that the country’s borders were closed “until further notice”.
Ali Bongo has already served two terms as president of the country since succeeding his father Omar Bongo, who died in 2009 after ruling since 1967. Neither the Gabonese government has yet reacted.
Iann OBIANG
