A military coup in Gabon following the announcement of the president winning a third term

Senior officers of the Gabonese army announced, during their appearance on the “Gabon 24” channel, today, Wednesday, that they would seize power and end the existing regime, after announcing the results of the presidential elections.

The officers said that “the recent general elections lack credibility and their results are null,” stressing that they “represent all security and defense forces in Gabon.”

The country’s borders were closed until further notice and state institutions dissolved, according to Reuters.

Gunfire from automatic weapons was heard in Libreville, Gabon’s capital, according to AFP.

Gabon’s President, Ali Bongo, won a third term today after disputed elections, according to Reuters.

The Gabon Election Center said that Bongo won a third term in the presidential elections after obtaining 64.27 percent of the votes.

This came after a general election that witnessed delays, and the opposition claimed that its results were falsified.

Announcing the result in the early hours of the morning, the head of the polling station, Michel Stéphane Bonda, said that Bongo’s main rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, came in second with 30.77 percent.

Bongo’s team rejected Ondo Ossa’s allegations of electoral irregularities.

Through these elections, Bongo sought to extend his family’s 56-year domination of power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil-rich, yet poor, country in Central Africa, according to Reuters.

There were concerns about the transparency of the electoral process in Gabon in the absence of international observers, the cut off of internet service and the imposition of a night-time curfew throughout the country after the elections.