AU’s Peace and Security Council said on Thursday evening that it strongly condemned the take-over of power by the military in Gabon, which deposed President Ali Bongo.

It suspended Gabon’s participation in all activities of the AU and its institutions “with immediate effect until constitutional order is restored in the country.”

The AU suspended Niger Republic’s membership just a few weeks ago after the military took power there at the end of July.

Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Sudan have also been suspended since the coups in those countries.

In Brussels, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said the European Union “rejects any seizure of power by force in Gabon.”

“The challenges facing Gabon must be resolved in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, constitutional order and democracy,” Borrell wrote on Thursday in a statement.

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“The country’s peace and prosperity, as well as regional stability, depend on it,” the statement added.

He called for “inclusive and substantive dialogue” instead of force to respect the rule of law, human rights and the will of the Gabonese people.

The military had seized power in Gabon early on Wednesday.

Officers announced on state television that state institutions had been dissolved.

They added that results of the recent election had been annulled as they were fraudulent and the country’s borders were closed.

Shortly before, the electoral authorities had declared Bongo, who had been in office since 2009, the winner of the August 26 election.

Military leaders named the head of the Presidential Guard, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, as the country’s interim leader on Wednesday evening.

Source: dpa/NAN

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They said they were annulling the results of Saturday’s election, in which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.

The electoral commission said Mr Bongo had won just under two-thirds of the votes in an election the opposition argued was fraudulent.

His overthrow would end his family’s 53-year hold on power in Gabon.

Gabon is one of Africa’s major oil producers, while nearly 90% of the country is covered by forests.

Twelve soldiers appeared on television early on Wednesday morning, announcing they were cancelling the results of the election and dissolving “all the institutions of the republic.”

They added that the country’s borders had been closed “until further notice”.

If confirmed, this would be the eighth coup in former French colonies in Africa in the past three years.

However, most of the others have been further north, in the Sahel region where an Islamist insurgency has led to rising complaints that the democratically elected governments were failing to protect the civilian populations.

The soldiers said they were from the Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions and represent security and defence forces in the country.

One of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24: “We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.”

This, he added, was down to “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion that risks leading the country into chaos.”

The sounds of loud gunfire could be heard in the country’s capital, Libreville, following the broadcast.

BBC World Service Africa editor Will Ross says this suggests the coup is perhaps not “done and dusted” and there will be some resistance.

There was no immediate response by the government to the soldiers’ announcement and the whereabouts of Mr Bongo are unknown.

Internet access was suspended following Saturday’s election for security reasons, however this was restored shortly after the apparent takeover.

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A curfew is also in place.

As in previous general elections in Gabon, there were serious concerns about the process in Saturday’s vote.

Main opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa complained that many polling stations lacked ballot papers bearing his name, while the coalition he represents said the names of some of those who had withdrawn from the presidential race had still been on the ballot sheet.

Campaign group Reporters Without Borders said foreign media had been banned from setting foot in the country to cover the vote.

Ali Bongo was declared the winner of Saturday’s election, which the opposition argued was fraudulent.

Both of Mr Bongo’s previous wins were disputed as fraudulent by opponents.

This time, controversial changes were made to voting papers just weeks before election day.

Mr Bongo came to power when his father Omar died in 2009.

In 2018, he suffered a stroke which sidelined him for almost a year and led to calls for him to step aside.

The following year, a failed coup attempt saw mutinying soldiers sent to prison.

Source: BBC

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