Gabon: Military leaders cancel common elections, seize energy and ban French media

A gaggle of senior Gabonese navy officers on Wednesday appeared on nationwide tv saying that they had seized energy within the nation because the current common elections within the nation lacked credibility, Al Jazeera reported, including that they claimed to characterize all safety and defence forces of Gabon.

The officers, showing on Gabon24 on Wednesday morning, stated that they had canceled the elections, dissolved all state establishments and closed the nation’s borders, in line with Al Jazeera.

Gabon grew to become the third African nation after Burkina Faso and Niger to see a change of guard by means of a navy coup in 2023.

The current announcement got here shortly after the state election physique stated President Ali Bongo Ondimba had gained a 3rd time period in workplace in Saturday’s disputed elections.

The officers stated, “In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime.”

The Gabonese Election Centre stated Bongo had secured 64.27% of the votes, considerably greater than his major challenger Albert Ondo Ossa, who grabbed 30.77% of the whole votes polled, after a course of beset by delays.

The nation’s Opposition camp on Saturday stated the election was a “fraud orchestrated by Ali Bongo and his supporters” after the web was reduce and a curfew imposed.

French media shops France 24, RFI and TV5 Monde have been additionally banned, accused of “a lack of objectivity and balance … in connection with the current general elections”, the federal government stated.

Bongo, earlier, introduced his bid for a recent time period in workplace because the presidential candidate of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), the get together based by his father, Omar Bongo, who dominated Gabon with an iron fist from 1967 to 2009.

After his loss of life, his son, then the defence minister, took his place as president and had been in energy ever since, as per Al Jazeera.

Tensions had been working excessive amid Saturday’s vote with the Opposition pushing for change and an finish to the Bongo household’s dominance of Gabon.

(This information report is revealed from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content material has not been written or edited by OpIndia employees)