Military officers in Gabon have declared they were seizing power from President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a stunning coup, threatening the family’s half-century rule over the central African nation.
Military Coup In Gabon
President Under House Arrest
Why In The News?
- A Group Of Senior Military Officers In Gabon Announced They Have Seized Power In The Capital In Order To Overturn The Results Of The Recent Election And Remove A Leader Whose Family Has Held Power For Almost 56 Years.
- This Came Within An Hour After President Ali Bongo Ondimba Was Announced As The Winner Of The Presidential Polls, Which Took Place Over The Weekend.
What Do We Know?
- On Saturday, August 26, Gabon Went To The Polls For The Country’s Presidential Election. Early On Wednesday, August 30, The Country’s National Electoral Authority Announced That Bongo, Who Had Been In Power For 14 Years, Was Re-elected For A Third Term With 64.27 Percent Of Votes Cast.
- Soon After, A Group Of Mutinous Soldiers Appeared On State Tv Saying They Were Seizing Power, Cancelling The Election Results And “Putting An End To The Current Regime”. Bongo’s Main Challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, Got 30.77 Percent Of The Vote, The Electoral Authority Said.
Who Is Behind The Ongoing Coup Attempt?
- The Soldiers Who Seized Power Said They Were Speaking On Behalf Of The “Committee For The Transition And Restoration Of Institutions” And Announced The Annulment Of The Election And Closure Of All Borders.
- They Also Announced The Dissolution Of Institutions Of State Including “The Government, The Senate, The National Assembly, The Constitutional Court, The Economic, Social And Environmental Council And The Gabonese Elections Centre”.
- One Officer Read A Joint Statement On TV Channel Gabon 24, While About A Dozen Others Stood Silently Behind Him In Military Fatigues And Berets. They Included Army Colonels, Members Of The Elite Republican Guard, Regular Soldiers And Others.
Situation In Gabon
- Gabon Is A Small State In Central Africa That Has Been Ruled By The Same Family For More Than 55 Years Since Its Independence From France In 1960. It Is One Of The Richest Countries In Africa In Terms Of GDP Per Capita, Thanks Largely To Oil Revenues And The Small Population Of 2.3 Million.
- In The 1970s, The Country Discovered Abundant Oil Reserves Offshore, Allowing It To Build A Strong Middle Class. Oil Accounts For 60 Percent Of The Country’s Revenues. But A Third Of The Population Still Lives Below The Poverty Line Of $5.50 Per Day, According To The World Bank.
What About President Ali Bongo Ondimba?
- Gabon’s Coup Leaders Have Said Bongo Is Under House Arrest And One Of His Sons Has Been Arrested For “Treason”. Bongo, 64, Took Over When His Father Omar Died In 2009 After Nearly 42 Years In Power.
- Bongo Senior, Who Took Office In 1967, Had The Reputation Of A Kleptocrat – One Of The Richest Men In The World, With A Fortune Derived From Gabon’s Oil Wealth.
- In October 2018, President Bongo Suffered A Stroke That Sidelined Him For 10 Months. The Episode Stoked Claims He Was Unfit To Rule And Fuelled A Minor Attempted Coup.
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