This video grab taken from Gabon 24 shows Gabonese soldiers appearing on television on August 30, 2023 announcing they were "putting an end to the current regime" and the cancellation of an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won. - During the announcement, AFP journalists heard gunfire ring out in the Gabonese capital, Libreville.
While announcing the cancellation of the results one of the soldiers announced the dissolution of "all the institutions of the republic".
"We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime", one of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions".
"To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled," he added.
"All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court," he added, announcing the closure of the country's borders "until further notice".
Among the soldiers were members of the Republican Guard as well as soldiers of the regular army and police officers. (Photo by - / Gabon 24 / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / GABON 24" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / GABON 24" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS /
Gabon’s main opposition Thursday urged military leaders who have overthrown President Ali Bongo Ondimba to conclude the vote count from elections last weekend and acknowledge their candidate had won the disputed poll.
The Alternance 2023 coalition also said it was inviting the security forces to take part in discussions “In order to work out the situation within a patriotic and responsible framework.”
Alliance spokesman Mike Jocktane told reporters that members of the security forces had been deployed at every polling station and overseen the transporting of ballot boxes.
As such, they were the “first witnesses” of main opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa’s “clear victory,” he said.
The coup announcement early Wednesday came just moments after the national election overseer declared Bongo had won a third term with 64.27 percent of the vote.
Ondo Ossa won 30.77 percent, it said.
Ahead of the declared results, the university professor had angrily accused Bongo of “fraud” and demanded he hand over power “without bloodshed”.
Jocktane also thanked the army on behalf of a “grateful homeland” for standing up to an “electoral coup d’etat” and sparing the country loss of life.
He invited the army to “supervise” the resumption of the collating process of results from the presidential vote which he said would “see Mr. Ondo Ossa’s victory at the ballot box formalized”.
