Gabon’s internet was restored on Wednesday after a group of army officers claimed to have scrapped election results that handed another term to President Ali Bongo Ondimba, News About Nigeria reports.
The nationwide internet shutdown was imposed by Bongo’s government as polling drew to a close late Saturday on the grounds that it would prevent the spread of “false news” and possible violence.
According to Nigeria’s Channels Television, the internet was restored in Gabon on Wednesday morning.
The shutdown affected all mobile phone networks and fixed-line connections, making it difficult for people to communicate with each other and access information online.
The move was widely criticized by human rights groups and opposition parties, who accused the government of trying to suppress them and manipulate the election results.
Meanwhile, the officers, who called themselves the Patriotic Movement of the Defense and Security Forces of Gabon, said they had seized power from Bongo for imposing himself on Gabonese.
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. The officer on television stated that the country was experiencing a severe institutional, political, economic, and social crisis.
The situation in Gabon remains tense, with reports of sporadic gunfire and military vehicles patrolling the streets of the capital, Libreville.
The African Union has called for “respect for constitutional order” in Gabon and urged all parties to “exercise restraint”.
