The United States calls on the army to return the civilian government to power

Last update 11:11

The American diplomat called on the Gabonese army to restore “civil order” in the country, and expressed “deep concern” about… President Ali Bongo’s coup Immediately after the elections, the results of which were questioned by the opposition.

“We call on officials to release government members and their families, ensure their safety, and preserve their civilian status,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press statement.

Britain condemns the “unconstitutional military seizure of power”

The British government condemns the “unconstitutional military seizure of power” in Gabon and calls for the “constitutional government” to be restored to power, a Foreign Office press release said on Wednesday evening, noting that London “acknowledges concerns” about the electoral process. Last.

Yesterday morning, army officers announced their seizure of power after the African country’s electoral commission announced that President Ali Bongo had won a third consecutive term.

General Jimma is the interim president

The commander of the Republican Guard, an elite unit of the Gabonese army, General Brice Olgie Jimma, assumes the position of “interim president” of the country through a military coup decision, according to a statement read by the Gabon 24 television channel.

An officer said in the presence of dozens of senior military officers representing all branches of the Gabonese army: “General Olgie Jimma Price was unanimously appointed as head of the Transitional and Institutional Rehabilitation Committee, as interim president.”

The length of this “transitional period” during which the army will exercise power has not been determined.

The night curfew will continue “until further notice.”

In addition, according to another announcement, the coup plotters decided to restore the work of the French media, which had stopped broadcasting earlier.

It is noteworthy that a group of twelve officers from the Gabonese army and security forces announced this morning that they had seized power in the African country, canceling the elections and “stimulating all the institutions of the republic,” after deciding to “put an end to this regime,” in reference to the rule of the family. Bongo has been going on for 56 years in Gabon.

Gabon is the sixth country in Africa to experience a military coup, and the eighth in a row since 2020 – followed by Mali (twice), Burkina Faso (also), Guinea, Chad and, just last month, Niger.

There is currently no plan to remove EU citizens

There is currently no plan to remove EU citizens from Gabon, EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said today.

He stressed the difference between the coups in Niger and Gabon, stressing that the latter, in which the army ousted outgoing President Ali Bongo shortly after the electoral commission officially announced his victory, came after elections that witnessed many irregularities.

“Military coups are certainly not the solution, but we must not forget that there were elections full of irregularities in Gabon,” Borrell stressed from Toledo, Spain, on the sidelines of the European Union foreign ministers’ meeting.