Military Coup in Gabon, Africa... "Current President Under House Arrest" (Comprehensive)

Military "Cannot Trust Election Results... Border Closure"
Incumbent President Secures Third Term in Recent Presidential Election

In Gabon, Central Africa, the military declared on the 30th (local time) that it had seized power through a coup d'?tat in response to the incumbent president, who had maintained long-term rule, securing a third term in the recent election. The military announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba was arrested and placed under house arrest.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to CNN and other outlets, senior military officers stated on national television, "The president has been arrested on charges of treason and is under house arrest surrounded by family and doctors." The military also reported that along with the president, his son and advisor Nureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief secretary Ian Gisling Ngulu, and two senior officials of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) were arrested. The military added that they face allegations including treason, embezzlement, corruption, and forgery of presidential signatures.

Earlier, senior military officers declared on national television, "We, representing all security and defense forces, have seized power. We dissolve the national institutions of the Gabonese Republic," and "The recent election results are unreliable and therefore nullified."

Referring to themselves as the "Transitional Committee for the Reconstruction of National Institutions," they claimed, "We have witnessed irresponsible and unpredictable governance causing national turmoil amid the continuous weakening of social cohesion," and "In the name of the Gabonese people, we have decided to end the current regime to preserve peace."

The military leadership added that the presidential election held on the 26th was canceled, and that borders would be closed and major institutions dissolved until further notice. Foreign media reported that gunfire was heard in downtown Libreville shortly after the broadcast.

Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

This coup came just three days after the presidential election in Gabon. In the election held on the 26th, President Bongo was elected with 64.27% of the vote. Opposition candidate Ondo Ossa received 30.77%, failing to gain power. Voter turnout was 56.65%.

The current government has not issued any statements regarding the military's claims.

President Bongo, currently in power, succeeded his father Omar, who ruled for 42 years, and has governed Gabon for the past 14 years. He assumed the presidency following the 2009 election after his father Omar's death. Despite criticism of electoral fraud in the 2016 election, he was re-elected by a margin of about 5,500 votes.

In 2018, President Bongo suffered a stroke and spent five months recovering abroad. This led to various rumors about his health. In January 2019, while he was abroad, a small-scale military coup occurred domestically but was suppressed.

The international community is closely monitoring the Gabonese military's announcement of power seizure and deliberating on how to respond.

Elisabeth Borne, Prime Minister of France, which formerly colonized Gabon, stated, "We are watching the situation with utmost caution." Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, lamented, "(If this is indeed a coup in Gabon) it will be recorded as yet another coup exacerbating regional instability."

China called for the safety of President Bongo and urged a resolution through dialogue. President Bongo visited China in April. The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed concern about the situation and hoped for stability in Gabon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.