A group of military in Gabon announced on television on Wednesday the cancellation of the presidential elections in which Ali Bongo Ondimba was re-elected on Saturday, and the dissolution of all democratic institutions.
The announcement was made in a press release read on Gabon 24, a television channel owned by the country’s presidency, by about a dozen Gabonese soldiers.
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A group of Gabonese military officers say they have taken power in Gabon; sounds of gunfire in the capital Libreville. pic.twitter.com/rFr1d89U5z
– NTA News (@NTANewsNow) August 30, 2023
After taking note of “an irresponsible and unpredictable administration resulting in a continuous deterioration of social cohesion, which risks leading the country into chaos (…) it was decided to defend peace and put an end to the current regime,” said one of the soldiers.
The same soldier, who claims to speak on behalf of an “Institutional Transition and Recovery Committee”, said all borders in Gabon were “closed until further notice”.
According to AFP journalists, automatic machine gun fire could be heard during the television broadcast in Libreville.
Hours earlier, in the middle of the night, at 3:30 am (same time in Lisbon), the Electoral Center of Gabon (CGE, in its French acronym) had released the official results of the elections on state television without any prior announcement. presidential elections.
The election commission said President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had been in power for 14 years, had won a third term in Saturday’s election with 64.27% of the votes cast, beating his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa, who had 30. won 77% of the vote.
The announcement was made at a time when Gabon was under a curfew and internet access was suspended across the country, measures imposed by the government on Saturday, election day.
The government has raised the risk of violence, following statements by Ondo Ossa, who demanded to be declared the winner.
The army and police had set up roadblocks in the capital overnight to impose a curfew for the third night in a row.
On election day, two hours before the polls closed, Gabonese’s main opposition parties denounced election fraud and demanded that Ondo Ossa’s victory be recognized.
On Monday, Ondo Ossa campaign manager Mike Jocktane told a press conference in Libreville that Bongo should accept the transfer of power “without bloodshed”.
The EU warns that the coup will increase instability in the region
The European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs has already stated that the eventual confirmation of the coup in Gabon will “increase instability throughout the region” of Central Africa.
“The news is confusing. I received the news in the morning. If confirmed, it would be yet another military coup that will increase instability across the region,” said Josep Borrell on arrival at the meeting of the defense ministers of the EU, which takes place in Toledo, Spain.
Borrell confirmed that the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is “not exactly improving” given the news he received about Gabon.
Asked about the European Union’s reaction if the military coup in Gabon is confirmed, the head of EU diplomacy replied with “we’ll see”.
“It is difficult to anticipate what the ministers will say” about Gabon at the meeting in Toledo, Borrell evaluated.
France is following events in Gabon with “the utmost attention”
Through the voice of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, France is following events in Gabon “with the utmost attention”.
Borne’s statement was the first response from France, the former colonial power in Gabon, whose influence in Africa.
However, the activities of the French mining group Eramet were suspended in Gabon after the military coup. a company source told AFP.
“Following the latest events, the group has suspended operations in Gabon” and is monitoring the situation to “protect the safety of workers and the integrity of the facilities,” an Eramet source said.
The mining group employs about 8,000 workers in the country, most of whom are Gabonese.
Source: DN
