A group of high-ranking military officers in Gabon appeared on national television on Wednesday (August 30) to announce that they have seized power from President Ali Bongo, following controversial re-election. The announcement was made on behalf of a group calling itself the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions.”
They stated that they’re annulling the results of Saturday’s election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of a third term.
The electoral commission said Mr Bongo had won just under two-thirds of the votes in an election the opposition argued was fraudulent.
The officers declared the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic,” claiming to represent all of Gabon’s security and defense forces.
One of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24: “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.”
He added that the reason for their action was due to irresponsible, unforeseeable governance resulting in a continuing debasement in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos,” he added.
Mr Bongo came to power when his father Omar died in 2009.
In 2018, he suffered a stroke which sidelined him for almost a year and led to calls for him to step aside.
If the news is true, that would end his family’s 53-year hold on power in Gabon. The officers also announced that borders are closed untill further notice.
