IN a startling turn of events, a group of senior Gabonese military officers took control of the nation’s leadership in the early hours of Wednesday. This coup d’état unfolded just minutes after the state election body declared President Ali Bongo the winner of a third term. The officers, appearing on national television channel Gabon 24, asserted that they represented all security and defence forces in Gabon. They announced the cancellation of the election results, the closure of borders, and the dissolution of state institutions.
One of the officers declared, ‘In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime.’ Loud gunfire erupted in the capital Libreville after the officers’ televised appearance, a Reuters reporter confirmed. The European Union expressed unease over the situation, stating, ‘These actions threaten the democratic stability of the region.’
The military officers introduced themselves as members of The Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions. The dissolved state institutions included the government, the senate, the national assembly, the constitutional court, and the election body.
This coup marks the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020, following a series of coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger. Such political upheaval has cast doubts on the region’s democratic progress.
Tensions were already high in Gabon due to the contentious presidential, parliamentary, and legislative vote. President Bongo sought to extend his family’s long-held rule, while the opposition pushed for change in the resource-rich yet impoverished nation.
The government’s decision to cut internet service, impose a nationwide curfew, and suspend foreign broadcasts raised concerns about electoral transparency. The lack of international observers further fuelled scepticism.
Bongo’s election victory was contested by his main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, and allegations of irregularities surfaced, including claims by the opposition alliance Alternance 2023. The European Union was notably absent from the observer list, and media watchdog RSF raised concerns about press freedom, saying, ‘Attacks on press freedom compromise the transparency of the general election.’
The sudden military takeover in Gabon has plunged the nation into uncertainty, with the dissolution of state institutions raising concerns about the stability of democratic governance. The international community closely watches the situation as Gabon grapples with the aftermath of this controversial coup amidst allegations of electoral irregularities.
(with France 24, Reuters, AFP)
