Military authorities in Gabon have announced the official taking over of power from Ali Bongo, the democratically elected President.
The officers appeared on television in the country to say they have seized power in a coup d’etat.
This is coming after official results showed President Ali Bongo won a third term in office following the country’s election on Saturday.
On Wednesday, however, soldiers announced a cancellation of the result, and the dissolution of the country’s institutions, amid reports of gunfire in the capital Libreville.
“We are putting an end to the current regime,” the soldiers said, according to AFP.
Earlier, the country’s electoral commission said that Bongo won Saturday’s election with over 64 percent of the vote. Bongo’s family have held power in Gabon for 56 years.
Concerns had been raised about the fairness of the election, after the government cut internet access and imposed a nighttime curfew after the vote.
Gabon would become just the latest country in Africa to experience a military takeover, after members of Niger’s military seized power in late July.
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