2023-08-30 10:33:30
A dozen soldiers announced, this Wednesday morning during a televised address, “to put an end to the regime in place” and to have placed President Ali Bongo Ondimba “under house arrest”.
This Wednesday around 3 a.m., a group of a dozen soldiers spoke on Gabonese television. They announced their desire to put an “end to the regime in place” in the country. A coup announced shortly following the proclamation of a new term for Ali Bongo, head of power for 14 years.
• Ali Bongo re-elected with 65% of the votes
The Gabonese people went to the polls on Saturday August 26 to elect the country’s leader. Two candidates collected the majority of the ballots, Ali Bongo, in place for fifteen years, garnered 64.27% of the ballots. Facing him, opponent Albert Ondo Ossa, who won 30.77% of the vote. The other twelve candidates signed negligible scores
These official results were announced overnight. But doubts regarding their validity were already expressed even before the closing of the polls. Thus, already on Saturday, Albert Ondo Ossa had denounced “fraud orchestrated by the Bongo camp”.
On Monday, this same opposition camp had asked the president in place to organize a handover of power “without bloodshed” by advancing a different result in the ballot. They did not, however, provide any evidence to back up their other count.
Ali Bongo was to start his third term, this time shortened to 5 years instead of seven. The 64-year-old is not, however, the first man in the family to hold power. Before him, his father Omar Bongo Ondimba had held the supreme post for 41 years. A “Bongo dynasty” regularly denounced by the opposition.
• The military denounce a “truncated” ballot
These elections seem to be the reason that pushed the military to take power. In their televised address they announced that the “truncated results” of the vote were “cancelled”. They believe that the elections did not fulfill “the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so hoped for by Gabonese men and women”.
The soldiers also announced the dissolution of all the country’s institutions, from the government to the Senate, including the Gabonese Elections Centre.
This is not the first time that an election in Gabon has been described as rigged. In 2016 European observers, including the European Union, confirmed the accusations of fraud raised by the opposition. Riots had broken out all over the country, and had been violently suppressed.
Who to take power intermittently? The soldiers carried this Wednesday in triumph Brice Oligui Nguema, the head of the presidential guard. He might establish himself – at least temporarily – as a new strongman.
• France “condemns” the ongoing coup
Before the French ambassadors gathered in Paris on Wednesday, Elisabeth Borne stressed that France was following “with the greatest attention” the evolution of the situation in Gabon. Olivier Véran, the government spokesman, later clarified that Paris “condemns the military coup that is underway”.
A 2017 count established the number of French people in Gabon at just under 10,000 nationals. They are asked to stay at home by the embassy. In addition, an emergency number has been put online: 0033.1.43.17.51.00
In addition, France has economic interests in the country, particularly mining. The Eramet group has already announced the “shutdown” of its activities in the country.
“Following the latest ongoing events”, the group has “put a stop” to its activities in Gabon and “monitors” the situation to “protect the safety of (its) personnel and the integrity of (its) facilities”, announced the French company in a press release.
Also of note, Omar Bongo was one of France’s closest allies in the post-colonial era and Ali is a regular in Paris, where his family has an extensive property portfolio. A heritage that is the subject of an investigation by anti-corruption magistrates.
Finally, as specified by a dedicated page of the Ministry of Defensearmed forces including an infantry battalion, are stationed there.
• Yet another coup in Africa
A few weeks before the coup d’etat in Gabon, it was power in Niger that was dislodged by putschist soldiers. A total of seven coups – successful or not – have taken place in Africa over the past three years.
Burkina Faso has experienced two putsches in eight months in 2022. Sudan has been in the grip of a civil war since the Coup of October 25, 2021. In Guinea, the military took power in September 2021. Finally, Mali has experienced two coups in August 2020 and May 2021.
A few hours following the military’s announcement, many questions remain unanswered. What future for the ex-president? He is currently being held under house arrest. One of his sons was also arrested.
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