IN BRIEF: Military Stages Coup to Seize Power in Central African Country of Gabon

The coup took place almost immediately after the Gabonese election authority announced that the incumbent president had been re-elected for a third term

© EPA-EFE/STRINGER

PRETORIA, August 30. /TASS/. A group of military officers in Gabon announced that they had taken power in the country, cancelled the results of the recent presidential election, in which incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba had secured victory, and dissolved all state institutions.

TASS has gathered the key takeaways regarding the breaking developments in Gabon.

Pre-coup background

Voting in Gabon’s presidential, parliamentary and local elections kicked off on August 26 amid tightened security measures. A total of 14 candidates stood in the presidential election, including incumbent head of state Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was seeking his third term in office. Albert Ondo Ossa, supported by the Alternative 2023 electoral coalition of six opposition parties, was his main rival.

Coup

The coup took place almost immediately after the Gabonese election authority announced that the incumbent president had been re-elected for a third term, winning 62.4% of the vote, while chief rival Albert Ondo Ossa garnered 30.7%. The opposition refused to accept the outcome of the election, citing irregularities.

Gabon's military seizes power in country, overturns presidential election results

A group of high-ranking officers in the Gabonese armed forces announced on state television that they had taken power in the country and moved to cancel the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections. The rebels consist of officers serving in the Central African nation’s security forces, armed forces and police, as well as members of the national guard and presidential guard.

Rebels’ statements and actions

After seizing power in Gabon, the military announced that the country’s borders would be closed until further notice. They also dissolved all state institutions, including the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court. The rebels then established a structure called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, but its membership has not yet been disclosed.

The military rebels announced their intention to honor all of Gabon’s international obligations. In explaining the rationale for their actions, the military said that irresponsible governance had brought the country to the brink of chaos.

Current situation in Gabon

Residents of the Gabonese capital of Libreville and the country’s second-largest city, Port-Gentil, took to the streets carrying national flags and welcoming troops riding in tanks. According to earlier reports, shooting was heard in the capital. French mining company Eramet has suspended its activities in Gabon amid news of the coup.

International reaction

Top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell stated that if reports of a coup in Gabon proved true, the situation in the country would be brought up for discussion at the August 31 meeting of EU foreign ministers. According to Borrell, the current situation across Africa’s entire Sahel region is difficult.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne pointed out that Paris was keeping a close eye on events in Gabon.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson called on the parties to resolve differences peacefully.

President’s whereabouts

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba is under house arrest, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the military rebels who have seized power in the country.

Ondimba, 64, is the son of Omar Bongo Ondimba, Gabon’s second president since gaining independence from France in 1960, who ruled the country from 1967 to 2009. Ali Bongo Ondimba was elected president after his father’s death in 2009 and re-elected for a second term in 2016 with only a razor-thin margin of victory over the opposition candidate. According to analysts’ estimates, he has managed to implement only 13 out of the 105 points of his 2016 election program.

About Gabon

Gabon is one of Africa’s most oil-rich countries, where oil production accounts for 70.5% of export revenues. It is one of the continent’s leaders in terms of per capita income ($7,540 as of 2022, in third place after the Seychelles and Mauritius). However, the current government has been unable to resolve the problem of endemic poverty, which affected 32.9% of the country’s population in 2022, according to the World Bank.

Regional instability

In late July, a group of military rebels in Niger announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum. The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, headed by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, was established to govern the West African country. The regional bloc Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed harsh sanctions on the Nigerien rebels, demanding they release Bazoum and reinstate him in office, and threatening to intervene militarily in Niger.