Armed Conflict in Gabon as Soldiers Assume Control and Annul Election Results

A dozen Gabonese soldiers appeared on television on Wednesday and announced they were “putting an end to the current regime” and canceling an election that President Ali Bongo Ondimba, according to official results, had won. During the announcement, AFP journalists in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, heard gunfire.

While proclaiming the annulment of the election results, one of the soldiers stated that “all institutions of the republic” had been dissolved.

“We have decided to defend peace by ending the current regime,” one of the officers said on Gabon 24 television, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the “Committee for Institutional Transition and Restoration.”

“To this end, the 26 August 2023 general elections and the truncated results are annulled,” he added.

“All institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court,” he added, proclaiming “until further notice” the closure of the country’s borders.

There were members of the Republican Guard, regular army personnel, and police officers among the soldiers. The statement was also aired on Gabon 1’s public television station.

Gunfire in the Nation’s Capital

During the statement, AFP journalists heard gunfire in multiple districts of Libreville. The announcement was made immediately after the national election authority announced that Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years, had won a third term with 64.27 percent of the vote on Saturday’s election.

According to the results, Bongo’s primary rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, received only 30.77 percent of the vote. Ondo Ossa had denounced “fraud orchestrated by the Bongo camp” and declared victory before the polls closed.

Mike Jocktane, the campaign manager for Ondo Ossa, demanded that Bongo hand over power “without bloodshed” on Monday, claiming without evidence that a partial vote count showed Ondo Ossa to be obviously in the lead.

Gabonese law prohibits the publication of partial results prior to the announcement of the final tally, which only the Gabonese Elections Centre, the organization responsible for conducting the elections, is authorized to release. The official election results were broadcast on state television at 03:30 (02:30 GMT) without any prior notice.

According to Libreville, Bongo’s government imposed a curfew and a nationwide internet shutdown before polls concluded on Saturday to prevent the spread of “false news” and potential violence.