Portugal’s defense minister ruled this Wednesday that the coup in Gabon and the growing instability on the African continent show that the idea of security “must be viewed from a 360-degree perspective”.
“This idea that security should be seen in 360 degrees is an idea that Portugal is underlining and that, with these signs of instability, should be strengthened,” Helena Carreiras said in statements to Lusa and RTP at the entrance of an informal meeting. meeting of European Union (EU) ministers with the defense portfolio, in Toledo (Spain).
In Africa, there is “a very important work” by Portugal that takes on new relevance with the growing instability on the continent.
A group of military from Gabon today announced on television 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.
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 army, which claims to speak on behalf of a Committee for Transitional and Institutional Restoration, said all borders in Gabon were “closed until further notice”.
Automatic machine gun fire could be heard during the television broadcast in Libreville, according to journalists from the AFP news agency.
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.
Source: DN
