Gabon Military Seizes Power In Oil-rich Country

2023-08-31

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1
  • Military officers in oil-producing Gabon said they had seized power on Wednesday and had put President Ali Bongo under house arrest.
  • 2
  • The military seized control minutes after the Central African state's election body announced he had won a third term.
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  • The officers said they represented the armed forces.
  • 4
  • They said on television that the election results were canceled.
  • 5
  • They also said the borders were closed and state institutions had broken up.
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  • The military takeover took place after a vote that was set to extend the Bongo family's 50-plus years in power.
  • 7
  • The Gabon officers call themselves The Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions.
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  • They said the country faced "a severe institutional, political, economic, and social crisis."
  • 9
  • They said the August 26 vote was not credible.
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  • One of the officers is Brice Oligui Nguema. In a video he appeared to be the military's leader.
  • 11
  • He told French newspaper Le Monde that he and other generals would meet on Wednesday to select someone to head the transitional government.
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  • Hundreds of people celebrated the military's intervention on the streets of Libreville, the Gabonese capital.
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  • The officers said they had detained Bongo, who took over in 2009.
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  • Before that, his father Omar, had ruled Gabon since 1967.
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  • The officer also said they had arrested the president's son and others for corruption and treason.
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  • Opponents say the family has done little to share the state's oil and mining wealth with its 2.3 million people.
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  • Violent unrest broke out after Bongo's disputed 2016 election win.
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  • There was a failed coup attempt in 2019.
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  • The 64-year-old Bongo was last seen in public voting on Saturday.
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  • France, Gabon's former colonial ruler, condemned the takeover.
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  • France has troops in the country.
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  • "We condemn the military coup and recall our commitment to free and transparent elections," French government spokesman Olivier Veran said.
  • 23
  • The coup creates more uncertainty for France's presence in the area.
  • 24
  • France has about 350 troops in Gabon.
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  • Its forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso after coups there in the last two years.
  • 26
  • The African Union's Peace and Security Council chair called for a meeting on the situation with Burundi, Senegal and Cameroon.
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  • China called for a peaceful resolution and Russia said it hoped for a quick return to stability.
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  • Rukmini Sanya is an expert at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
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  • He said, "Mr. Bongo is not expected to be able to suppress the uprising."
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  • He said there was "widespread public discontent" against Bongo, his family and his ruling party.
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  • Gabon produces about 200,000 barrels of oil a day.
  • 32
  • International companies include France's TotalEnergies and Anglo-French producer Perenco.
  • 33
  • French miner Eramet said it had halted operations in Gabon.
  • 34
  • There were concerns about transparency regarding Saturday's vote.
  • 35
  • During the election, there was a lack of international observers and some foreign broadcasts were suspended.
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  • The government also cut internet service and put in place a nighttime curfew.
  • 37
  • On Wednesday, internet access appeared to be in place for the first time since the election.
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  • Shortly before the coup, the election body had declared Bongo the election winner with 64.3 percent of the vote.
  • 39
  • His main opponent, Albert Ondo Ossa, received 30.8 percent of the vote.
  • 40
  • I'm Dan Novak.