LIBREVILLE, Gabon — Gabon’s President Ali Bongo has appeared in a video calling for international support following a coup staged by military officers in the oil-rich Central African nation.
“I’m sending a message to all friends that we have all over the world to tell them to make noise for (…) the people here who arrested me and my family,” said a visibly distressed Bongo in the clip on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
The video’s authenticity could not be verified, nor could the location or timing of its recording be determined.
However, the video came just hours after a group of Gabonese military officers declared on state television that they were “putting an end to the current regime,” effectively canceling the recent election results.
Gunfire were heard in the capital, Libreville, during the televised announcement.
“We have dissolved all the institutions of the republic,” said an unidentified military officer, who read the announcement flanked by members of the elite Republican Guard, regular soldiers, and other high-ranking army colonels.
The coup d’état unfolds against a backdrop of political tension following the announcement by the national election authority that President Bongo had secured a third term with a controversial 64.27% of the vote.
Critics have questioned the election’s legitimacy, citing voter irregularities and allegations of corruption.
The international community is keeping a close watch on the unfolding situation.
The African Union and other international bodies face pressure to intervene and restore democratic governance in Gabon.
The coup and subsequent appeal for “noise” from President Bongo raise alarming questions about the stability of Gabon, a nation strategically important for its abundant oil reserves.
A prolonged crisis could destabilise the country and have broader implications for the Central African region and global energy markets.
As the world watches, the plea from a besieged president resonates as a call to action.
Whether that call will be answered — and what form the answer will take — remains to be seen.
The international community now grapples with responding to a rapidly evolving situation that has already sent shockwaves beyond Gabon’s borders.
