Coup in Gabon: Ali Bongo deposed, elections called off

Gabon’s military officers have taken to national television to announce their takeover of the government.

They stated that they were nullifying President Ali Bongo’s victory in Saturday’s election.

In an election that the opposition claimed was rigged, the electoral commission declared Mr. Bongo the winner with just under two-thirds of the votes.

If he were to be deposed, his family’s 53-year rule over Gabon would come to an end.

Despite approximately 90% of the country being covered by woods, Gabon is one of Africa’s biggest oil producers.

At 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, twelve soldiers appeared on television to declare the election results null and void and “all the institutions of the republic” dissolved.

Moreover, they said, “until further notice,” all entry points into the country were sealed.

If true, this would be the eighth coup to take place in Africa’s former French colonies in the last three years.

Most of the others, however, have occurred in the northern Sahel region, where an Islamist insurgency has led to growing concerns that the democratically elected governments are failing to safeguard civilian populations.

Foreign policy leader of the European Union said a military takeover would increase instability in Africa, and French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said her country was closely monitoring the situation.

In his opinion, “this is a big issue for Europe,” Josep Borrell stated.

On the other hand, the French mining company Eramet, which had employed hundreds of people in Gabon, announced that it had halted operations there out of concern for their employees’ safety.

• Is there a rise in military takeovers in Africa?
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• The president of Gabon is a man named Ali Bongo.

The troops who made the coup announcement claimed to represent the country’s armed forces and security apparatus on behalf of the Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions.

During an interview with Gabon 24 TV, one of the soldiers declared, “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.”

Because of “irresponsible, unpredictable governance,” he continued, “social cohesion is continuing to deteriorate, that risks leading the country into chaos.”

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After the broadcast, residents of the country’s capital, Libreville, reported hearing the sounds of heavy gunfire.

A listener of the BBC World Service’s Newsday program in the western city of Port Gentil said that a buddy woke him up to tell him about the soldier’s transmission.

According to them, “a communique was being played over and over on the two national TV channels,” and it looked that all branches of Gabon’s defense and security forces were involved.

This, according to Will Ross, editor of BBC World Service Africa, shows the revolution is not “done and dusted” and that there will be opposition.

After the troops’ declaration, the government did not react quickly, and Mr. Bongo has disappeared.

Due to security concerns, internet service was temporarily shut down after Saturday’s election, but it was quickly restored after what appeared to be a takeover. There is also a curfew in effect.

On Saturday’s vote, as in past general elections in Gabon, many people were worried about the process.

Albert Ondo Ossa, the main opposition candidate, said that ballots containing his name were missing from several voting places, while the coalition he represents claimed that the names of those candidates who had dropped out of the contest were still on the ballot.

Reporters Without Borders, a political group, said that foreign journalists had been barred from entering the country to cover the election.

Both of Mr. Bongo’s prior victories were challenged as illegitimate. This time, ballots were controversially altered in the final weeks before the election.

After his father Omar’s death in 2009, Mr. Bongo assumed authority.

After being incapacitated for nearly a year due to a stroke he had in 2018, there were calls for him to stand down.

After a failed coup the next year, mutinous soldiers were locked up.