The Portuguese government “requests the rapid restoration of normality and constitutional order in Gabon”, taking into account the latest events and guarantees that it is following “the situation in the country”, where a military coup is taking place.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MNE), through the Portuguese Embassy in São Tomé and Príncipe, which has Gabon in its area of jurisdiction, is following the situation in the country, having been in contact with some of the national citizens residents in that territory”, announced the Government through a statement released by the Palácio das Necessidades.
“Traveling to Gabon is not recommended, and residents of the country are also urged to maintain a vigilant and serene attitude in their homes, as can be read in the advice to travelers in the Portal das Comunidades of the MNE,” adds the release. .
According to the MNE, “about 50 Portuguese are registered at that consular office and so far there has been no request for help to leave the country.”
Since early Wednesday morning, Gabon has been facing a coup carried out by the military, which began shortly after the announcement of the results of the elections held last Saturday the 26th, according to which President Ali Bongo Ondimba would remain in office. can. , continuing 55 years of his family’s dominance of power.
A group of Gabonese soldiers announced on television on Wednesday the cancellation of the presidential elections that re-elected Ali Bongo and the dissolution of all democratic institutions.
After verifying “irresponsible and unpredictable governance that translates into a continuous deterioration of social cohesion that runs the risk of bringing the country into chaos (…) it was decided to defend peace, putting an end to the current regime”, -he declared one of the soldiers
The same army, claiming to speak on behalf of an Institutional Restoration and Transition Committee, claimed that all borders in Gabon were “closed until further notice”.
According to Agence France-Presse journalists, automatic machine gun fire was heard during the television broadcast in Libreville.
Hours earlier, in the middle of the night, at 03:30 (same time in Lisbon), the Gabon Electoral Center (CGE, in its French acronym) had made public on state television, without prior notice, the official results of the elections. presidential election.
The electoral commission announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power for 14 years, won a third term in Saturday’s elections with 64.27% of the votes cast, defeating his main rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, who obtained 30.77% of the votes.
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 election day Saturday.
Source: TSF
