Coup announcement
Gabones soldiers in the wee hours of Wednesday, August 30, 2023; announced that they have seized power in the Central African country.
The announcement was made via national television.
According to the soldiers, they were setting aside results of August 26 presidential election.
Incumbent Ali Bongo, now ousted, had barely hours prior been declared winner of the poll which the opposition claimed was fraudulent.
Gabon’s Electoral Commission declared that Mr Bongo had won a little under two-thirds of the votes.
Video of Republican Guard on streets of Libreville tweeted:
An intial video of developments in the capital, Libreville, has been tweeted by a media consultant.
Trucks carrying members of the Republican Guard are seen driving through town as residents gathered in small pockets cheer them.
Later, there are hundreds shown swarmed around the arriving army trucks singing and dancing as the soldiers make their way through town.
This is the second coup Bongo has faced after a 2019 coup by three soldiers was quashed. The three soldiers took over the state radio station to announce a short-lived takeover.
Neighbouring countries and the international is yet to comment on the developments.
See the video below:
EU to discuss Gabon after takeover announcement – BBC
European Union defence ministers are to discuss the situation in Gabon, the body’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said.
“If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region,” the Reuters news agency quotes Mr Borrell as saying speaking to a meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo, Spain.
“The whole area, starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon, it’s in a very difficult situation and certainly the ministers… have to have a deep thought on what is going on there and how we can improve our policy in respect with these countries,” he said.
Stay calm, we are on the road to happiness – Coup spokesperson
Below are more quotes from the coup address from Gabon as delivered on the state-owned Gabon 24 by a spokesperson flanked by 11 others.
“Our beautiful country, Gabon, has always been a haven of peace. Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis.
“The organisation of the general elections of 26 August 2023 did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon. Added to this is irresponsible and unpredictable governance, resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion, with the risk of leading the country into chaos.
“To this end [the elections] and the truncated results are cancelled. The borders are closed until further notice. All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the Economic, Social and Environmental Council and the Gabonese Elections Centre.
“We call for calm and serenity from the public, the communities of sister countries settled in Gabon, and the Gabonese diaspora. We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon’s commitments to the national and international community.
“People of Gabon, we are finally on the road to happiness. May God and the spirits of our ancestors bless Gabon. Honour and loyalty to our homeland.”
Internet restored amid coup flux – BBC
The internet has been restored in Gabon, hours after the country’s military announced that it was taking over power.
The government cut off access to the internet and imposed a curfew after the end of voting on Saturday, a move the government said was necessary to prevent the spread of misinformation and outbreak of violence.
Timeline of the ousted president:
Ali Bongo was born Alain Bernard Bongo in neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville in February 1959.
He grew up Alain Bernard, eight years after his father became president in 1967. Mr Bongo came to power at the age of 50 when his father Omar died in 2009.
His overthrow, if confirmed, would end his family’s 53-year hold on power in Gabon, a major oil-rich and oil exporting country.
He won his first election in 2009 and re-lection under controversial circumstances in 2016.
In 2018, he suffered a stroke which sidelined him for almost a year and lead to calls for him to step aside.
The following year, a failed coup attempt saw mutinying soldiers sent to prison.
His third election despite his recovering health has by this coup been cancelled and he will be exiting office after 14 years in office.
What the soldiers said:
Twelve soldiers appeared on television announcing they were cancelling the results of the election and dissolving “all the institutions of the republic”.
One of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24: “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.”
This, he added, was down to “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos”.
Information hard to come by because of internet disruption:
According to multiple reports, sounds of heavy automatic weapons fire are being heard in Libreville, Gabon’s capital.
There is little information coming out of the country because of an internet disruption shortly after the end of polls on August 26.
The government said it was imposing the measure to curb the spread of false results and by so doing to save lives and property.
The main opposition leader had called on the president on Tuesday to accept defeat and hand over power barely 24 hours before the coup.
Dissolution of key state institutions:
In the announcement by an unnamed soldier, a number of state institutions were immediately dissolved in the wake of the coup. Among others:
a. The National Assembly i.e. Parliament
b. The Electoral Commission
c. The Economic Council
d. The Constitutional Court
Social media reactions:
