Gabonese Army Takes Control and Announces Election Results Cancellation.
Libreville, Gabon: In a dramatic turn of events, a group of Gabonese soldiers took to television screens to declare the end of the current regime and the cancellation of the election results, which had reportedly declared President Ali Bongo Ondimba as the winner.
The announcement was accompanied by the sound of gunfire echoing through the capital city of Libreville.
During the broadcast on TV channel Gabon 24, a soldier representing the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions” stated, “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.”
The soldier announced that the general elections that took place on August 26, 2023, and their purported results were now null and void.
Furthermore, the soldier revealed that “all the institutions of the republic” were dissolved, including the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court. The soldier also proclaimed the immediate closure of the country’s borders “until further notice.”
The statement was aired on both Gabon 24 and Gabon 1 public television channels. Notably, gunfire was reported in various districts of Libreville during the broadcast, adding to the air of tension and uncertainty.
The move followed closely after the national election authority announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba had secured a third term in office with 64.27 percent of the vote. His main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, reportedly received 30.77 percent of the vote.
Albert Ondo Ossa had previously accused the Bongo camp of orchestrating fraudulent activities and claimed victory before the official poll results were declared. On Monday, Ondo Ossa’s campaign manager, Mike Jocktane, urged Bongo to relinquish power “without bloodshed” based on a partial count that showed Ondo Ossa in the lead.
Gabonese law stipulates that the publication of partial results is prohibited until the final results are released by the Gabonese Elections Centre, the authorized body for announcing official poll outcomes.
Before the election results were officially declared, Bongo’s government had imposed a curfew and implemented a nationwide internet shutdown to curb the spread of misinformation and to prevent potential violence.
The sudden upheaval in Gabon’s political landscape has left the nation and the international community closely watching as developments unfold and the consequences of the military’s intervention become clear.
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