This video grab taken from Gabon 24 shows Gabonese soldiers appearing on television on August 30, 2023 announcing they were "putting an end to the current regime" and the cancellation of an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won. - During the announcement, AFP journalists heard gunfire ring out in the Gabonese capital, Libreville.
While announcing the cancellation of the results one of the soldiers announced the dissolution of "all the institutions of the republic".
"We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime", one of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions".
"To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled," he added.
"All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court," he added, announcing the closure of the country's borders "until further notice".
Among the soldiers were members of the Republican Guard as well as soldiers of the regular army and police officers. (Photo by - / Gabon 24 / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / GABON 24" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / GABON 24" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS /
The new military rulers in Gabon have announced the arrest of former President Ali Bongo Ondimba and one of his sons on the charges of treason.
The military in a statement read on state television, says the 2 men are under house arrest, surrounded by family and doctors. The arrest come few hours after the military officers announced a coup, saying that last week’s election lacked credibility.
The officers said they had cancelled the elections, dissolved all state institutions and closed the country’s borders.
The elections which held last weekend and was won by Ali Bongo was decried by the opposition as fraudulent, with widespread reports of election manipulation. Before the polls, the authorities placed a curfew, cut off the internet and barred some foreign media outlets from covering the elections.
As it stands, the coup will put an end to the 56-year rule of the Bongo family who have ruled Gabon non-stop since 1967.
It is also the latest in the trend of coups in Africa since 2019, after similar putsches in Sudan (twice), Mali (twice), Chad, Guinea, Burkina Faso (twice) and Niger Republic.
