A fresh coup has been carried out by the military in Gabon, deposing President Ali Bongo, who was declared winner of Saturday’s election.
Bongo, who came to power after the death of his father in 2009, won a third term in an election which opposition argued was heavily disputed.
Tension and unrest was reported after Saturday’s presidential, parliamentary, and legislative vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil and cocoa-rich but poverty-stricken nation.
A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a night-time curfew nationwide after the poll raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.
However, soldiers appeared on Gabonese national television in Gabon on Tuesday to say they had taken power and annulled Saturday’s election.
This is the second coup in Africa after military junta took over power in Niger Republic.
