A newly re-elected President was overthrown.

A group of senior military officers appeared on television in Gabon, a Central African nation, on August 30 and announced they were taking over the government, just hours after President Ali Bongo Ondimba was declared re-elected for a third term.

Claiming to represent Gabonese security forces, the officers said they would annul the results of recent elections, suspend the government and close the country's borders until further notice.

“We have decided to preserve peace by ending the current regime,” an officer told Gabon 24 radio.

This is the eighth coup in West and Central Africa since 2020. Most recently, Niger's military government took control of the West African country in late July.

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba speaks at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 21, 2022. Photo: CNN

The Gabon National Election Authority announced the results of the election held on August 26 on the morning of August 30. Accordingly, Mr. Bongo was the winner with more than 64.27% of the votes, while his main opponent only received 30.77% of the votes.

Hours later, officers calling themselves the Committee for Institutional Transformation and Restoration appeared on national television and announced the “end of the regime.”

The reason they gave was “Mr. Bongo's irresponsible and unpredictable management, which has put the country at risk of falling into chaos.

The Bongo family has ruled Gabon, a country of 2.3 million people on the Atlantic coast, for more than half a century. Ali Bongo became president in 2009, after his father died of cancer .

Nguyen Tuyet (According to CNN, NY Times)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/chau-phi-mot-tong-thong-vua-tai-dac-cu-da-bi-lat-do-a624163.html