The Kingdom of Morocco is closely following the latest developments in the Gabonese Republic, while stressing the necessity of supporting the overall stability of Gabon and the region, said Morocco’s Foreign Ministry in a press release on Wednesday.
“Morocco trusts the wisdom of the Gabonese country, its driving forces, and its national institutions, to move forward towards a perspective that will enable it to act in the supreme interests of the country, safeguard the gains made, and meet the aspirations of the brotherly Gabonese people,” read the press release.
A group of senior military officers in Gabon announced a coup d’état and took control of Gabon’s government only minutes after the Central African country’s electoral board reported that incumbent President Ali Bongo had won a third term. The Bongo family had been in power for 56 years.
Bongo had won the election with 64.27% of the vote, while his major opponent, Albert Ondo Ossa, had come in second with 30.77%. The election had been marked by significant delays, as well as a lack of international observers, suspension of foreign – especially French – news outlets, the cutting of the internet, and the imposition of a national curfew.
The officers who orchestrated the coup said on Gabonese television channel Gabon 24 that they represent all Gabonese security and defense forces and that the election results have been canceled. The officers also said that they had put President Ali Bongo under house arrest.
Bongo, who confirmed his arrest in a video circulating on social media, called on citizens to “make noise” after the coup attempt.
According to Reuters, hundreds of Gabonese came to the streets to celebrate the military’s actions, while at the same time, the African Union and France condemned the actions. This coup, if successful, would be the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020, with the most recent being the coup in Niger in July.