The president of Gabon asks the international community for help after the military coup

The president of Gabon, ali bongoasked today for help from the international community from his residence, where he is detained after the military announced this morning that they have taken power in the African country.

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“I must send a message to all the friends we have around the world to tell them to make noisebecause these people have arrested me and my family”, affirmed the president in a video broadcast on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

“Right now I’m in the residence and nothing happens. I do not know what is happening. So I call you to make noise, to make noise, to make real noise”, he added Bongo drumnoting that his son and his wife were in other places but without giving further details.

Before the broadcast of this video, the military junta assured in a televised message that the president, his family and his doctor are under house arrest and also announced the arrest of one of his sons, Noureddin Bongo Valentinand his chief of staff, Ian Ghislain Ngoulouamong other close people.

The uniformed officers accused the detainees of “high treason against State institutions, massive embezzlement of public funds, international financial embezzlement by an organized gang, falsification and use of the forgery of the signature of the President of the Republicand drug trafficking.

Previously, the putschists had announced the dissolution of all institutions of Gabon shortly after the country’s electoral commission reported the victory of Bongo drumin power since the death of his father in 2009, in the controversial elections on the 26th.

The self-styled Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) assured that these votes were not transparent, credible or inclusive, and accused the government of the country of governing “irresponsible and unpredictably”, thus deteriorating the “social cohesion”.

Faced with these facts, some countries reacted, such as Russiawho expressed his “deep concern” through the spokesperson of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov.

FranceFor his part, he condemned the coup and called for “respect“the result of the elections”when it is known”, according to the French government spokesman, Olivier Veranin an ambiguous reaction to the announcements that had been made previously.

The X social network was filled today with videos of Gabonese people celebrating the military uprising, that have opened internet connections after the authorities blocked them last Saturday.

There was already a coup attempt in 2019 – the first since 1964 – against Bongo, although that year was unsuccessful.

The announcement of the seizure of power by the military in Gabon occurred after the coup committed by the Army in Niger last July 26.

Niger it then became the fourth country in the west of Africa led by a military junta, after Mali, Guinea-Conakry and Burkina Fasowhere there was also hit of State between 2020 and 2022.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.