Gabon, a small oil-rich country in Central Africa, is facing a political crisis after a group of military officers announced that they had seized power from President Ali Bongo Ondimba and his son, who were accused of treason. The coup leaders said that they had placed the president under house arrest and arrested his son, who was allegedly involved in a plot to overthrow the government.
The coup attempt came shortly after the announcement of the presidential election results, which gave Bongo a narrow victory over his main rival, Jean Ping. The opposition and many observers denounced the election as fraudulent and called for a recount. However, Bongo refused to accept any challenge to his legitimacy and claimed that he had the support of the people and the international community.
The military officers, who identified themselves as the Patriotic Movement of the Defence and Security Forces of Gabon (MPDSF), said that they had acted to restore democracy and end the “dictatorship” of Bongo, who had been in power since 2009, following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon for 42 years. The coup leaders said that they had formed a National Restoration Council (CNR) to oversee a transition to a new government that would respect the will of the people.
The coup was condemned by several regional and international organizations, such as the African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union, which called for the respect of the constitutional order and urged all parties to exercise restraint and avoid violence. The French government, which has close ties with Gabon, also expressed its concern and said that it was monitoring the situation closely.
The fate of Bongo and his son remains unclear, as reports suggest that loyalist forces have launched a counter-attack to regain control of the state television and radio stations, where the coup announcement was made. There are also reports of sporadic gunfire and explosions in the capital, Libreville, where thousands of people have taken to the streets to celebrate or protest the coup. The situation is tense and uncertain, as Gabon faces its biggest political upheaval in decades.