By Ollus Ndomu
In a stunning turn of events, Gabon is plunged into chaos as military officers announce their takeover of the country’s governance.
The announcement comes just moments after the state election body declared Ali Bongo as President following Saturday’s elections.
Broadcasting their message on Gabon 24 television channel in the early hours of Wednesday, August 30th, the officers asserted that they were acting on behalf of all security and defense forces in the Central African Nation.
The election results have been nullified, borders are sealed indefinitely, and state institutions have been dissolved, the officers declared.
They have vowed to uphold peace by putting an end to the current regime, citing the will of the Gabonese people.
Shortly after the officers’ statement, reports of gunfire echoed through the capital city, Libreville, confirming the gravity of the situation.
The list of dissolved state institutions includes the government, the senate, the national assembly, the constitutional court, and the election body itself.
If successful, this coup would mark the eighth such incident in West and Central Africa since 2020, following a series of coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and others.
The region remains on high alert as the situation develops.
