“In the name of the nation, we have decided to defend peace and end the current regime,” they told the military, which announced the takeover of power in Gabon.
On Wednesday, a group of senior military officers from the Gabonese army appeared on national television and announced that they had seized power in the country. Minutes earlier, state election authorities had announced that President Ali Bongo had won the election and would serve a third term.
A coup in Gabon?
On television “Gabon 24” the army stated that they act on behalf of the entire army and people. Putschists said the election results had been annulled, the country’s borders had been closed until further notice and state institutions had been dissolved.
The soldiers introduced themselves as members of the Institutional Change and Reconstruction Committee. Among the state institutions they declared dissolved were the government, the senate, the national assembly, the constitutional court and the electoral body.
A reporter from the US news agency Reuters reported that loud gunshots could be heard on television in the Gabonese capital Libreville after the military crackdown.
The elections raised serious doubts
The country’s National Election Commission reported that more than 64 percent of voters voted for President Bongo, who won re-election. participants in elections. His main competitor Albert Ondo Ossa received the support of 30 percent. voters.
However, Reuters points out that the credibility of the election process raised serious doubts. Indeed, access to some foreign media was restricted, internet access was shut down, a curfew was introduced and there were no foreign observers.
For now, there are no reliable reports on the whereabouts of Bongo, who was last seen in public on Saturday voting in the election.
Next try
Gabonese authorities thwarted an attempted military coup in January 2019 after soldiers briefly occupied a state radio station and broadcast news that Bongo, who had suffered a stroke months earlier, was no longer fit to hold office.
The situation recovered a few hours later, with two coup suspects killed and others arrested.
Source: Do Rzeczy

Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.