Gabon: hundreds celebrate while president pleads for help after coup declared

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 05:50:12 +0000

Military officers in Gabon said they have taken power and put the president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, under house arrest.
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Military personnel appeared on state television to announce they were seizing power to overturn the results of a presidential election, seeking to remove a president whose family has held power for nearly 56 years. Bongo took over in 2009 from his father Omar, who had ruled since 1967. The president released a video statement in response to the address, pleading with countries to support him and 'make noise'. France, Gabon's former colonial ruler, condemned the coup and said the election result should be respected. If successful, the coup would be the eighth in west and central Africa since 2020. The most recent one, in Niger, was in July, while the military has also seized power in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad.

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