Gabonese President Ali Bongo has surfaced in a video, urging his "friends" across the world to raise awareness following a military coup in the oil-rich Central African nation. In the video shared on social media, President Bongo expressed his message of solidarity, stating, "I'm sending a message to all friends that we have all over the world to tell them to make noise for the people here who arrested me and my family." The context and timing of the video couldn't be verified by AFP.
Earlier, a group of Gabonese military officers declared on television that they were overthrowing the current regime and annulling President Bongo's election. Gunfire was reportedly heard in the capital, Libreville, during the officers' announcement. The coup's leaders dissolved "all the institutions of the republic."
The coup transpired shortly after the national election authority announced President Bongo's re-election for a third term with 64.27 percent of the vote in the recently held election.
This report is sourced from AFP
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