Twelve soldiers appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic”.
The announcement on Wednesday came after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64 was re-elected for a third term, in an election the opposition described as a ‘fraud orchestrated’ by the ruling party.
Gabon’s coup leaders say President Ali Bongo Ondimba is under house arrest and one of his sons has been arrested for “treason”.
“President Ali Bongo is under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors,” they said in a statement read out on state TV.
His overthrow ends his family’s 56-year hold on power in Gabon.
Gabon is one of Africa’s major oil and manganese producers. The country also possesses a remarkable forest cover which constitutes nearly 90% of its territory.
It joined the Commonwealth in June 2022, becoming one of its few members not to have been a British colony while it remains a member la Francophone, a group of mainly French former colonies.
