Gabon Coup: Gabon military seizes power, President under house arrest 

Gabon, a country in Africa that produces oil, had a group of military officers take control of the government on Wednesday. They put President Ali Bongo, who had just won a third term in the election, under house arrest.

These officers, who are high-ranking in the military, made an announcement on TV overnight. They canceled the election results, closed the borders, and got rid of the government institutions. They claimed to represent all the security and defense forces in Gabon.

After this announcement, many people in the capital city, Libreville, came out to celebrate. It seemed like the announcement was filmed from the presidential palace.

The military officers also said they had detained President Bongo. He became the president in 2009 after his father, who had ruled Gabon for a long time. Some people don't think the Bongo family has shared the country's wealth from oil and mining with the population.

This could be the eighth time in West and Central Africa that the military has taken control of a government since 2020. Other countries like Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Chad have also experienced similar situations.

The military officers called themselves "The Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions." They said Gabon is going through a serious crisis in terms of politics, economy, and society. They also claimed that the election held on August 26 wasn't fair.

There was some gunfire in Libreville after the announcement about Bongo, but the streets were mostly calm before the celebrations started. Police later showed up to guard important parts of the city.

Gabon's government didn't immediately respond to the situation. President Bongo, who is 64 years old, was last seen in public when he voted on Saturday. He looked healthier compared to his past appearances after suffering a stroke in 2019.

France, which used to rule Gabon, is watching closely because it has troops stationed in Gabon. The situation is making things uncertain for France in the region.

China and Russia are also concerned and want a peaceful resolution to the situation.

Gabon was not dealing with the same issues as some nearby countries, but this coup shows democratic problems in the region.

People in Gabon have been unhappy with the Bongo family's control for a long time. There were protests after Bongo's win in the 2016 election, and a coup attempt in 2019.

The military officers might want to hold onto power and create a new constitution while getting rid of Bongo's supporters from the government.

Critics of Bongo say that the family hasn't used the country's oil money to help the people, and many live in poverty.

Gabon makes a lot of money from oil, but some of the oil fields are running out. Companies like TotalEnergies and Perenco are involved in this.

This situation started after the recent elections where Bongo won again, but people were concerned about fairness because there weren't many international observers, and the government limited the internet and imposed a curfew.

The military officers dissolved the government institutions, including the court and the election body.

After their announcement, internet access seemed to be restored, which had been cut after the election to stop fake news from spreading.

Bongo's opponents say he won with 64.27% of the vote, while his main rival got 30.77%.

Gabon's bonds, which are financial investments, dropped in value, but then they partially recovered.