AFRICA/GABON - After coup in the night: “Libreville is a ghost town”

Libreville (Agenzia Fides) – "Libreville is a ghost town. There are no people or vehicles on the streets, but the situation is calm", local sources tell Fides in the capital of Gabon, where the military announced they took power in a coup d'état during the night. The observers, who have asked for anonymity for security reasons, reconstruct the events as follows: "At two o'clock in the morning the electoral commission officially announced the victory of outgoing President Ali Bongo Ondimba in the presidential elections of August 26 with 64.27%.
Immediately afterwards the military appeared on television and announced that they had deposed Bongo and taken power." "Shots were heard during the night, but as far as we know, they were shots in the air. At the moment there are no dead or injured," the observers continued. "The entire army, including the Republican Guard, the President's bodyguard, was involved in the coup. The gendarmerie and police also appear to be united with the military" the sources said. Immediately after the election, Bongo's government imposed a curfew and cut internet connections (see Fides, 28/8/2023), also because his main opponent, Albert Ondo Ossa, denounced "orchestrated fraud" by the presidential camp and asked to be declared the winner at the end of the counting. "The first thing that happened immediately after the coup plotters took power was to restore internet connections," the sources said. "However, the population is afraid, mindful of the violence in 2009 and 2016 and afraid of what could happen. In their statement the coup plotters declared that they had seized power with these words: "We, the defense and security forces, gathered in the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI), on behalf of the Gabonese people and as guarantor of the protection of the institutions, have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the regime in power". The elections were a much-anticipated date. Ahead of the election, the bishops had affirmed in a message published on August 23: "Elections are a place where the political choice of a people is expressed and they are a sign of legitimacy for the exercise of power. Failure to respect the national constitution, law or judgment of free, fair and transparent elections would constitute a serious failure in governance and a lack of competence in the administration of public affairs". The bishops called to "avoid any form of strife and violence after the elections". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 30/8/2023)

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