Gabonese Army Has Staged A Coup, Annulling Recent Presidential Election Results

Army officers in Gabon have taken control of the government, announcing their coup on national television, the BBC News Africa has reported. They claimed to be annulling the results of the recent presidential election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.

The electoral commission had stated that Bongo won nearly two-thirds of the votes, but main opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa complained about irregularities including alleged lack of ballot papers bearing his name at various polling stations, while the coalition he represents said the names of some of those who had withdrawn from the presidential race had still been on the ballot sheet. If successful, this would end Bongo’s family’s 53-year rule in Gabon. One of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24:

We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.

He added that this was down to “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos”.

The soldiers, identifying themselves as the Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions, declared the dissolution of all government institutions and the closure of the country’s borders until further notice. Gunfire could be heard in the capital city, suggesting potential resistance. The whereabouts of President Bongo are unknown, and the government has not responded to the soldiers’ announcement. The election had already raised concerns about irregularities, including missing ballot papers and the inclusion of withdrawn candidates on the ballot. The country is a significant oil producer in Africa, with extensive forest coverage. 

Mr. Bongo’s previous victories in elections were contested by his opponents, who claimed fraud. In the most recent election, there were controversial alterations to voting papers shortly before the voting day. Mr. Bongo became the leader after his father, Omar, passed away in 2009. In 2018, he experienced a stroke that kept him out of action for almost a year and prompted calls for him to step down. In the subsequent year, an unsuccessful coup resulted in rebellious soldiers being imprisoned.

This is happening as the Western African community is grappling with another coup that was staged in Niger.

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