Ali Bongo Asks For Help Amid Gabon Coup Confusion
Ali Bongo Ondimba, the deposed president of Gabon, has asked his “friends all over the world to make noise” while under house arrest following a coup in the central African nation. A video from an anonymous source depicts a distressed Bongo pleading for assistance.
“I’m Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon and I’m to send a message to all the friends that we have, all over the world to tell them to make noise, to make noise, for the people here have arrested me and my family. My son is somewhere, my wife is in another place and I’m at the residence” Bongo said.
“Right now, I’m under residence (arrest, ed.), and nothing happens, and nothing is happening, I don’t know what… what’s going on. So, I’m calling you to make noise, to make noise, to make noise. I’m… I’m thanking you, thank you.” he concluded.
Wednesday morning, military officers proclaimed that they were overthrowing the government in what appears to be a coup aimed at President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been in power for 14 years and whose re-election was just announced. His ancestors have ruled the oil-rich African nation for over fifty-five years.
During the televised announcement of the annulment of the election results, one of the officers stated that “all institutions of the republic” had been dissolved.
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An officer delivered the address while flanked by a dozen army colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, and other soldiers.
It occurred shortly after the national election authority announced that Bongo, 64, had won a third term with 64.27 percent of the vote in Saturday’s election.
Following the death of his father, who had governed the country for 41 years, Bongo was first elected in 2009.
The announcement was made amid an overnight curfew and a nationwide internet shutdown, imposed by Bongo’s government as the polls closed on Saturday to prevent the dissemination of “false news” and potential violence.
The Internet was restored Wednesday morning following the television address.
The officer stated on Gabon 24 that the country is experiencing a severe institutional, political, economic, and social crisis.
He stated that the recent election “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible, and inclusive vote that the people of Gabon so desperately desired.”
The officer explained that he was speaking on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions” when he stated, “We have decided to defend peace by ending the current regime.”
“To this end, general elections were held on August 26.”
Ali Bongo Asks For Help Amid Gabon Coup Confusion