After gaining a third term, Gabon's President Bongo was detained in a coup attempt.
Shortly after the state electoral commission announces that incumbent Ali Bongo has won a third term as president, an announcement on television follows.
Minutes after the National Election Commission confirmed Ali Bongo as the winner of the general election on Saturday, a group of top Gabonese military soldiers declared they had assumed control and imprisoned the president.
The officers claimed to speak for all of the country's security and defence personnel when they appeared on state-run television station Gabon 24. They claimed that state institutions had been disbanded, the election results had been annulled, and all borders had been blocked indefinitely.
Following the television appearance, the Reuters and AFP news agencies claimed that loud shooting could be heard in Libreville, the country's capital.
Members of the overthrown government did not immediately respond with comments. According to the coup leaders, Bongo, 64, who was last spotted in public when he voted in the election on Saturday, is now under house arrest.
A military leader announced that Bongo's son and close adviser Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou and his deputy, two additional presidential advisers, and the two top PDG officials "had been arrested."
Among other things, he claimed, they are charged with treason, theft, corruption, and forging the president's signature.
The officers issued a statement in which they declared that they had "chosen to safeguard the peace by putting an end to the current administration" in the name of the Gabonese people. A dozen officers in military fatigues and berets stood silently behind the officer reading the unified statement.
Members of "The Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions," the military identified themselves. The government, senate, national assembly, constitutional court, and election body were among the state institutions they declared dissolved.
Many uncertainties
The coup, if successful, would be the eighth to take place in West and Central Africa since 2020. Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger's coups, as well as others, have hampered recent democratic advancements.
The military operation is "surrounded by many uncertainties." "There is also a great deal of stress. According to them [coup leaders], the government has been disobeying the wishes of the Gabonese people for a long time, and they insist that this must change.
After Saturday's presidential, parliamentary, and legislative elections, which saw Bongo seeking to maintain his family's 56-year hold on power as the opposition fought for change in the oil- and cocoa-rich but impoverished country, tensions were high and there were worries of turmoil.
Around the military operation, "there are many uncertainties." Also, there is a great deal of tension. The coup leaders assert that the government has been disobeying the wishes of the Gabonese people for a long time and that this must change.
Amid concerns of violence following Saturday's presidential, parliamentary, and legislative elections, where Bongo sought to maintain his family's 56-year hold on power and the opposition fought for change in the oil- and cocoa-rich but impoverished country, tensions were high in Gabon.
Concerns regarding the integrity of the election were raised by the absence of foreign observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities' decision to shut down internet connectivity and impose a nighttime curfew over the country following the vote.
We are also aware that the internet is still down. Curfew was imposed and it was closed during the weekend, according to Soi. People are therefore quite terrified.
People in Gabon have an extremely difficult time getting the information they need to know what is going on. Things are moving quickly, she continued.
Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister of France, stated that her country was paying "the utmost attention" to what was happening in Gabon. According to the French Defence Ministry website, Paris retains a military presence in many of its former colonies, including Gabon, where it has 370 soldiers permanently stationed, some in the capital Libreville.
Bongo ran for office on behalf of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which his father, Omar Bongo, founded and administered in Gabon from 1967 to 2009. His son, who was serving as the defence minister at the time of his death, succeeded him as president and has held the position ever since.
Election and Announced Victory:
Ali Bongo, the incumbent President of Gabon, sought a third term in office.
The state electoral commission announced that Bongo had won a third term as president.
This announcement was followed by a group of top military soldiers declaring on state television that they had taken control of the country.
Coup Announcement:
After the National Election Commission confirmed Bongo's victory, a group of senior military officers declared that they had assumed control of Gabon.
The officers claimed to represent the country's security and defence personnel.
They appeared on state-run television station Gabon 24 and stated that state institutions were dissolved, election results annulled, and borders blocked indefinitely.
Detention of President Bongo:
The military officers declared that they had imprisoned President Ali Bongo.
They claimed to be acting on behalf of the country's security and defence personnel.
Coup Leaders and Arrests:
The military officers who led the coup identified themselves as members of "The Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions."
They announced the arrest of several high-ranking officials, including Ali Bongo's son and adviser, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, and other presidential advisers.
The arrested individuals were charged with offences like treason, theft, corruption, and forging the president's signature.
Coup Rationale:
The coup leaders stated that their actions were aimed at safeguarding peace and ending the current administration.
They claimed to be acting in the name of the Gabonese people, asserting that the government had been disregarding their wishes for a long time.
Impact and Uncertainty:
The coup attempt raised concerns about potential violence and instability in Gabon.
Previous coups in neighbouring West and Central African countries heightened regional tensions.
There were uncertainties about the success and consequences of the coup, as well as the military's ability to maintain control.
Election Concerns:
The recent presidential, parliamentary, and legislative elections were marked by tension.
President Bongo aimed to continue his family's long-standing hold on power, while the opposition sought change.
Concerns were raised about the integrity of the election due to the absence of foreign observers, media suspensions, and internet shutdowns.
International Response:
France, Gabon's former colonial ruler, expressed concern about the situation.
The French defence ministry noted that it had a military presence in Gabon.
The international community paid close attention to the unfolding events and their potential impact on the region.
Background and Political Context:
Ali Bongo succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled Gabon for over four decades.
The Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), founded by Omar Bongo, remained in power under Ali Bongo's leadership.
The country's rich resources, including oil and cocoa, were juxtaposed with widespread poverty and socio-economic challenges.
Overall, the situation in Gabon highlighted the complex political landscape, the struggle for power, and the potential for instability in the region due to political transitions and power struggles. The coup attempt underscored the challenges faced by African nations in establishing and maintaining stable governance systems.
To decide Bongo's fate and the new leader, the coup leaders in Gabon will convene.
President Ali Bongo's relative and leader of the elite Republican Guard, Brice Nguema, declined to confirm the president's whereabouts.
The mutinous soldiers in Gabon are expected to convene at 14:00 GMT to elect a new president for the Central African nation, according to Brice Nguema, the man accused of being the coup's mastermind on Wednesday.
President Ali Bongo's relative and the head of the Republican Guard gave an interview to the French newspaper Le Monde.
The leaders of the coup in Gabon will gather to decide whether Bongo will remain president or not.
President Ali Bongo's relative Brice Nguema, who is also the commander of the elite Republican Guard, declined to confirm the president's whereabouts.
The mutinous soldiers are meeting at 14:00 GMT to choose the new ruler of the Central African nation, according to Brice Nguema, the suspected mastermind of Wednesday's coup in Gabon.
A relative of President Ali Bongo and the head of the elite Republican Guard was speaking in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde. The leaders of the coup in Gabon will gather to decide whether Bongo will remain president or not.
The location of President Ali Bongo was not confirmed by Brice Nguema, the head of the prestigious Republican Guard and a relative of the president.
The mutinous soldiers in Gabon are expected to gather at 14:00 GMT to choose the country's new leader, according to Brice Nguema, the presumed mastermind of Wednesday's coup.
Speaking in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, the Republican Guard's supreme commander and President Ali Bongo's relative.
The president has since produced a video pleading for assistance and confessing that he was really detained, although Nguema did not confirm his whereabouts.
According to the national electoral body, Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years, won a third term with 64.27 percent of the vote in the presidential election held on Saturday.
After the results were published, the military assumed control under the name Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, declaring that "the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic, and social crisis."
Nguema declined to disclose the whereabouts of the president, who later released a video in which he begged for assistance and acknowledged that he was indeed being held.
According to the National Electoral Commission, 64.27 percent of the votes cast were for Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years, to be re-elected for a third term.
Following the announcement of the results, soldiers who identified themselves as the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions seized control, declaring that "the country is experiencing a serious institutional, political, economic, and social crisis."
Jordy Dikaba, a young man strolling with his buddies through a street surrounded with armoured police officers, said, "Long live our army."
The soldiers, who were made up of members of the Republican Guard, the gendarmerie, and other security personnel, "dissolved all institutions of the republic," according to a group spokesman.
The French mining firm Eramet said that it was ending all of its activities in Gabon and that it had started taking steps to safeguard the security of its personnel and facilities. The government has reportedly stopped all operations at the nation's main port in Libreville and won't According to the private intelligence firm Ambrey, let ships go.
Early on Wednesday morning, one morning flight at Libreville's Léon-Mba International Airport had already been delayed. Flights were cancelled on Wednesday, a man who answered a phone at the airport told The Associated Press.
The coup attempt, which took place approximately a month after the democratically elected government of Niger was overthrown, is the most recent in a string of uprisings against regimes with ties to France, the former colonial power in the area. If the revolution in Gabon is successful, there have been eight coups in West and Central Africa Let ships go, says the private intelligence firm Ambrey.
The Léon-Mba International Airport in Libreville already had one morning flight that was delayed on Wednesday. The Associated Press was informed that flights were cancelled on Wednesday by a guy who answered a number for the airport.
The coup attempt, the most recent in a string of uprisings against administrations linked to France, the area's former colonial power, took place approximately a month after the democratically elected government of Niger was overthrown. Including Gabon's coup, there have been eight coup attempts in West and Central Africa since 2020.