A group of senior Gabonese military officers appeared on television channel Gabon 24 in the early hours of Wednesday and said they had seized power, after the state election body announced President Ali Bongo had won a third term.
After observing “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos… we have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime”, one of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24, speaking on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions”.
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Tensions were running high amid fears of unrest after Saturday’s presidential, parliamentary, and legislative vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the poverty-stricken nation.
A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a night-time curfew nationwide after the poll has raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.
