A group of senior military officers has claimed political power in Gabon. That happened in a Wednesday announcement on national television. The group, which claims to speak on behalf of all Gabonese security and military authorities, has said it rejected last weekend’s election results, dissolved all state institutions and closed the country’s borders. The elections, in which current president Ali Bongo came out as the winner, would not be credible, so that “the current regime had to come to an end,” the military group said.
The announcement came shortly after the National Electoral Body designated Bongo the winner of that election, meaning nothing seemed to stand in the way of his third term in office. He is said to have obtained almost 65 percent of the vote and left his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa – more than 30 percent – behind in one round of voting. Bongo took over as political leader of the country in 2009 from his father Omar Bongo, who had ruled the country since 1967.
Shortly after the poll, Ossa spoke of a “fraudulent ballot orchestrated by Bongo” and urged the current president for a “peaceful transfer of power” after Ossa himself claimed victory. The country experienced an eventful electoral process. For example, the incumbent government shut down the internet nationwide and imposed a curfew. French media outlets such as France 24, RFI and TV5 Monde were also banned due to “a lack of objectivity”.
Although the group of soldiers “in the name of the Gabonese people” wants to guarantee peace by ending the current regime, the military announcement raises fears of violence in the country. Shortly after the televised speech, news agencies Reuters and AFP reported gunshots in the Gabonese capital Libreville.