A group of Gabonese military officers made a televised announcement on Wednesday, declaring the end of the current regime and invalidating the official election results that had given President Ali Bongo Ondimba another term, News About Nigeria reports.
This announcement was accompanied by gunfire heard in the capital, Libreville. One of the officers stated, that “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved during the announcement.
The address was delivered by an officer surrounded by a group of army colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, regular soldiers, and others.
The announcement followed the national election authority’s declaration that Bongo, aged 64, had secured a third term in the election held on Saturday, winning 64.27 percent of the vote.
Bongo has been in power for 14 years in the oil-rich West African nation, having first been elected in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled Gabon for 41 years.
The military’s announcement occurred during an overnight curfew and a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by Bongo’s government as the polling period ended on Saturday. At 0600 GMT, the streets of downtown Libreville were deserted.
The officer on television stated that the country was experiencing a severe institutional, political, economic, and social crisis.
He claimed that the recent election did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible, and inclusive ballot desired by the Gabonese people.
The officer announced that they were defending peace by ending the current regime on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions.”
He also declared the cancellation of the general elections of August 26, 2023, and the dissolved institutions of the republic, including the government, Senate, National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court. The officer also announced the closure of the country’s borders “until further notice.”
Gabon’s presidential, legislative and municipal elections took place without election observers. Before the military’s announcement, Bongo’s main rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, had accused him of fraud and claimed victory.
As the polls concluded, Bongo’s government imposed a nightly curfew and shut down the internet to prevent the spread of “false news” and potential violence.
The country’s broadcasting authority also provisionally banned French channels France 24, Radio France Internationale (RFI), and TV5Monde, accusing them of a “lack of objectivity and balance” in their election coverage.
Despite the military’s announcement and Ondo Ossa’s claims, Gabonese law prohibits the publication of partial results until the final result is officially released by the Gabonese Elections Centre, the body responsible for organizing the polls.
