Soldiers from Gabon made a televised appearance, declaring their intention to "terminate the present regime." They further proclaimed the invalidation of an election, which, based on the outcomes, had been won by President Ali Bongo Ondimba.

According to reports from the news agency AFP, gunshots resonated in the Gabonese capital, Libreville, coinciding with the announcement.

Meanwhile, as the cancellation of the results was being declared, one of the soldiers stated that they had dissolved "all the institutions of the republic."

We have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime", one of the soldiers said on TV channel Gabon 24, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the "Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions".

"To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled," he added.

"All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court," he added, announcing the closure of the country's borders "until further notice".

According to reports sourced from the news agency AFP, the proclamation was made by a group of individuals, including members of the Republican Guard, soldiers from the regular army, and police officers.

Meanwhile, the statement's dissemination occurred via Gabon 1 public television, as indicated by the same news agency.

In a sequence of events, the soldiers' announcement closely followed an official declaration by the national election authority. This declaration affirmed the re-election of President Ali Bongo Ondimba for a third term, stemming from the elections held on August 26. President Bongo reportedly secured a significant victory with 64.27 percent of the vote. This achievement placed his rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, at 30.77 percent of the votes, according to the officially reported results.

However, in a contrasting stance, Albert Ondo Ossa had denounced what he termed as "fraud orchestrated by the Bongo camp." Moreover, even before the polls' conclusion, Ondo Ossa asserted his victory. This assertion was voiced by his campaign manager, Mike Jocktane, on Monday, August 28. Jocktane's call was for President Bongo to yield power "peacefully," grounded in the assertion that a preliminary vote count distinctly favored Ondo Ossa's position. Notably, this assertion was not accompanied by any substantiating evidence.

Image source: The Guardian