No noise for Ali Bongo, latest casualty in Africa’s returning military coups
The president of Central African country, Gabon, 63-year-old Ali Bongo Ondimba has become the latest to lose power in a military coup in Africa, after leaders in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger have been deposed by soldiers.
Last weekend the people of Gabon went to the polls to vote in an election that would have made the outcome, very well expected, the third term for Ali Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years.
Bongo was continuing a dynasty started by his Late father Omar Bongo 56 years ago.
As the Gabonese waited for the election results, Bongo shut down the Internet, leaving an eerie silence over the country, as tension built up.
Early Wednesday August 30, 2023, at 4:00am, as expected, Bongo was declared winner of the election for a third term.
The Gabonese Election Centre (CGE) announced he won 64.27 per cent of the vote as the opposition denounced the election as fraudulent.
The head of the CGE, Michel Stephane Bonda said Bongo’s main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, was second with 30.77 per cent.
An hour later, the military announced they have seized power. They said on TV that they were cancelling the election results and “putting an end to the current regime.”
Leader of the coup is General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, head of the Republican Guards who are supposed to protect Ali Bongo.
In a video posted on social media hours after the coup, Bongo was seen seated and telling the world he has been arrested by the military and his wife and son have also been arrested and he doesn’t know where they are. He called on the rest of the world to make noise.
On the streets of Libreville however, the soldiers are being praised by the citizens.
63-year-old Ali Bongo has been recovering from a stroke. Unable to run the affairs of government, he appointed his eldest son Noureddin Bongo Valentin as “coordinator of presidential affairs” to assist him run the country. Bongo took over from his Late father Omar Bongo, who had ruled the country for 42 years. He died in 2009 at the age of 73.
By Emmanuel K Dogbevi
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