Coup d’etat in Gabon: France is following the situation “with the greatest attention”, assures Elisabeth Borne
France is following “with the greatest attention” the situation in Gabon where a coup d’état targeted the regime of President Ali Bongo on Wednesday, declared Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
A group of a dozen Gabonese soldiers announced Wednesday, August 30, in a press release read on the Gabon 24 television channel housed within the presidency, the cancellation of the elections and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the Republic”. “We are putting an end to the regime in place”, they added, shortly after the announcement of the re-election of outgoing President Ali Bongo. The French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, assured to follow “with the greatest attention” the situation.
After noticing “irresponsible, unpredictable governance which results in a continued deterioration of social cohesion risking leading the country to chaos (…) we have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the regime in place”, said one of these soldiers, saying he was speaking on behalf of a “Transition and Institutional Restoration Committee”. The borders will be “closed until further notice”, assured on television the soldiers responsible for the attempted coup. They also called “the population in peace” and affirmed their “attachment to the respect of Gabon’s commitments to the international community”.
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The national authority in charge of the poll, the Gabonese Election Center, announced Wednesday morning the victory of outgoing President Ali Bongo Ondimba in Saturday’s presidential election, with 64.27% of the votes cast. His opponent, Albert Ondo Ossa, had denounced “frauds” from Saturday, and also claimed victory.