After President Ali Bongo was re-elected to a third term in Gabon, army officers appeared on national television to declare they had seized power.
According to the BBC, the officers said they were annulling the results of Saturday’s election, which the opposition had called “fraudulent.”
According to the soldier, “irresponsible, unpredictable governance has resulted in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos.”
On Wednesday, the Gabonese Election Centre (CGE) declared Bongo the winner, with 64.27% of the votes cast.
Albert Ossa, Bongo’s main challenger, polled second with 30.77%, according to CGE head Michel Bonda.
Bongo’s team has dismissed Ossa’s allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities.
Following the presidential and parliamentary elections, tensions in Gabon have been high, with fears of unrest.
The overthrow of Bongo would end his family’s 53-year reign. When his father, Omar, died in 2009, he became president.
Bongo, 64, suffered a stroke in 2018 that sidelined him for nearly a year, prompting calls for him to step down.
There was a coup attempt on Bongo in 2019. Soldiers who participated in the failed putsch were imprisoned.
