BREAKING: Potential military coup in Gabon
BREAKING: Potential military coup in Gabon
Television announcement comes shortly after incumbent Ali Bongo is declared president for a third term.
cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/1550739
"Gabon military officers claim power, say election lacked credibility Television announcement comes shortly after state election body announces incumbent Ali Bongo had won a third term as president.
A group of senior military officers has gone on national television in Gabon saying they have seized power because elections held over the weekend were not credible.
The officers, appearing on Gabon24 in the early hours of Wednesday morning, said they had cancelled the elections, dissolved all state institutions and closed the country’s borders.
They said they represented all security and defence forces of Gabon.
The announcement came shortly after the state election body said President Ali Bongo Ondimba had won a third term in office in Saturday’s disputed elections.
“In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officers said.
The Gabonese Election Centre said Bongo had secured 64.27 percent of the vote compared with 30.77 percent for his main challenger Albert Ondo Ossa, after a process beset by delays.
Further Context: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/08/26/gabon-will-ali-bongo-ondimba-rule-for-another-five-years_6108971_4.html
Rise africa rise... It's time to bash the heads of US and EU. Down with imperialism
is that the case here? gabon is in b&r and primarily exports to china
Gabon is like a major oil producer near the Gulf of Guinea. For a very long time most of its oil money went to a francophone upper class, leaving most of the population in poverty. It was one of the few colonies of french equatorial africa that supported the vichy government. Most of the population is considered part of the Fang ethnic group, similar to the mainland of equatorial quinea.
anyone with more details about the overthrown government and how much popular support this coup has?
Too early to say, but for what it's worth some videos of people celebrating in the streets are already circulating:
https://nitter.net/The_Real_Fly/status/1696789325055197295
https://nitter.net/DD_Geopolitics/status/1696790187484008628
We can view this as anecdotal evidence of at least some measure of popular support.
You can post stuff like this in !worldnews@lemmygrad.ml as well. I am trying to make the community more active.
Tried to tbh but posted to !worldnews@lemmy.world on accident. There are three worldnews communities that show up, with no differentiating text indicating which is where. Annoying tbh.