A group of senior Gabonese military officers appeared on television in the early hours of Wednesday to announce the suspension of elections and the closing of borders shortly after the election commission said President Ali Bongo had won a third term.
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- Appearing on the Gabon 24 television channel, the officers said they represented all the security and defence forces of the central African nation.
- The soldiers said the election results on Ali Bongo’s re-election were annulled, all borders were closed until further notice and state institutions dissolved.
- Gabon voted Saturday in presidential, parliamentary and legislative elections in which incumbent Bongo and Ondo Ossa led a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job.
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6:22am Gunfire heard in the capital Libreville
Loud sounds of gunfire could be heard in the capital Libreville, Reuters and AFP reporters said following the military officers’ television announcement.
Tensions had been running high and there were fears of unrest after Saturday’s vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil- and cocoa-rich but poverty-stricken nation.
A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts – including FRANCE 24 and sister radio station Radio France Internationale – and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a nationwide night-time curfew after the poll had raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.
There was no immediate comment from the government of the OPEC+ member nation.
6:18am Soldiers announce dissolution of state institutions in TV address
Appearing on the Gabon 24 television channel, the officers said they represented all the security and defence forces of the central African…
