Countries world wide criticized the army takeover within the Central African nation of Gabon, whereas President Ali Bongo known as on folks to oppose and protest his arrest on Wednesday.
The African Union strongly condemned the coup in Gabon and urged the military to ensure the bodily integrity of the president, his household and people in authorities.
African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat stated he’s following the state of affairs with nice concern.
Russia expresses concern
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated Wednesday that Moscow has considerations concerning the state of affairs in Gabon and is monitoring developments.
Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated Russia views Gabon as a pleasant nation and is anticipating the state of affairs to stabilize as quickly as potential.
The Gabonese military introduced Wednesday it seized energy in Libreville.
It got here shortly after the Gabonese Election Centre confirmed that incumbent President Ali Bongo formally gained a 3rd time period in elections with 64.27% of the vote.
Zakharova stated Moscow has not acquired any notification concerning accidents or casualties from Russians in Gabon. She suggested Russian nationals to keep away from touring to Gabon until completely obligatory.
France condemns coup
France condemned the army coup in Gabon, its former colony, the federal government spokesperson stated on Wednesday.
“France is also monitoring the situation with much attention, and wished that the elections results, once announced, would be respected,” Olivier Veran stated in a news convention following the Council of Ministers in Paris.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne earlier stated that France was monitoring the developments in coup-hit Gabon with the “utmost attention.”
US watching Gabon state of affairs
The United States is carefully watching the state of affairs in Gabon following the army coup, the most recent in a sequence of undemocratic energy seizures in Africa, the White House stated Wednesday.
“It’s deeply concerning. We were going to watch this closely, and we’re going to continue to do everything we can to support the idea of democratic ideals that are expressed by the African people,” stated White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby.
Italy monitoring developments
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated in a brief video on social media platform X that the 150 Italians in Gabon are secure.
“We ask all of them to be highly vigilant and to remain at home,” he added.
He stated the disaster unit of the Italian Foreign Ministry and the nation’s embassy in Libreville are carefully following how the state of affairs in Gabon is evolving.
He additionally stated that the state of affairs in Gabon and in the remainder of Africa will likely be mentioned at a gathering of EU international ministers on Wednesday and Thursday.
Bongo appeals to world, urges protests in opposition to detention
Bongo known as on the folks of Gabon to “make noise,” saying in a short video he has been illegally detained at his residence.
He appealed to the world to boost a voice for his launch after the army put him “under house arrest” after a coup, in line with a video of the president circulating on-line.
The 64-year-old chief is seen within the 50-second video sitting calmly in a chair as he makes an pressing enchantment.
“I am Ali Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon, and I am sending a message to all friends we have all over the world to make noise because the people here have arrested me,” he stated within the video posted on-line whose supply couldn’t be verified.
Bongo additional stated: “My family, my son is somewhere and my wife is in another place. Right now I’m in the residence, and nothing is happening. I don’t know what is going on. So I am calling you to make noise. Thank you,” the detained chief stated.
Gabon is the most recent nation in Africa to expertise a army takeover after members of Niger’s army seized energy within the West African nation late final month.
Military officers seized energy Wednesday after President Bongo was declared the winner in Saturday’s election for a 3rd time period.
The army canceled the election outcomes that declared Bongo the winner with 64.27% of the vote.
Bongo has been in energy for greater than a decade.
The military stated it denounced “irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuous deterioration of social cohesion, which risks leading the country into chaos.”
Bongo has “been placed in retirement,” the top of his presidential guard instructed Le Monde newspaper on Wednesday after insurgent officers stated that they had toppled him.
“He has been placed in retirement. He has all his rights. He’s an ordinary Gabonese person, like everyone,” Brice Oligui Nguema stated, whereas denying that he had change into the chief of the putsch.
The chief of the Presidential Guard was seen in video footage broadcast on state TV earlier Wednesday being held aloft by a whole lot of troopers who have been chanting “Oligui president.”
Asked why Bongo had been toppled, he instructed the newspaper: “There was discontent in Gabon and past this discontent there was the top of state’s sickness. Everyone is speaking about it, however nobody was doing something about it.
“He had no right to do a third term. The Constitution had been trampled on. The electoral process was not the right one. So the army decided to turn the page and do something.”
Bongo suffered a stroke in 2018 which side-lined him from public life for 10 months and left him with mobility issues and talking difficulties.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
