The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, travels today to Congo Brazzaville, where he will meet with his counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso, with the theme of talks regarding the coup d’état in which President Ali bongo Ondimba was targeted, in power 14 years ago
According to a communiqué to which OPAÍS had access, without providing many details of his trip to the Republic of Congo Brazzaville, the statesman will discuss with his counterpart the intricacies arising from the military action that removed Ali Bongo Ondimba, elected in the last Saturday, President of Gabon. However, the secretary general of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, “firmly condemns the ongoing coup attempt” in Gabon as a way to solve “the post-electoral crisis”, he said. yesterday his spokesperson, as reported by RTP.
“The secretary-general is following very closely the evolution of the situation in Gabon. The secretary-general notes with deep concern the announcement of the election results in the midst of reports of serious infringements of fundamental freedoms”, said Stéphane Dujarric. Guterres “firmly condemns the ongoing coup attempt as a way to resolve the post-election crisis” and “reaffirms his strong opposition to military coups”, added the spokesman in a statement.
The former Portuguese prime minister appealed to all stakeholders involved to exercise moderation, engage in an “inclusive and meaningful” dialogue and “ensure that the rule of law and human rights are fully respected”. “The Secretary-General also appeals to the national army and security forces to guarantee the physical integrity of the President of the Republic and his family. The United Nations supports the people of Gabon,” concludes Dujarric’s statement.
Since the early hours of last Wednesday, Gabon has been facing a coup d’état carried out by the military, which began shortly after the announcement of the results of Saturday’s elections, according to which the President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, would remain in power. , continuing 55 years of his family’s domination of power. A group of military personnel from Gabon announced on television the cancellation of the presidential elections that re-elected Ali Bongo and the dissolution of all democratic institutions.
After noticing “an irresponsible and unpredictable governance that results in a continuous deterioration of social cohesion that runs the risk of leading the country to chaos (…) it was decided to defend peace, putting an end to the regime in force”, declared one of the soldiers. The same military man, claiming to speak on behalf of a Transition and Institutional Restoration Committee, said that all borders in Gabon were “closed until further notice”.
According to Agence France-Presse, during the television broadcast, automatic machine gun fire was heard in Libreville. The electoral commission announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power for 14 years, had won a third term in Saturday’s elections with 64.27% of the votes cast, defeating his main rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, with 30.77% of the wishes.
