Libreville: A group of senior military officers in Gabon on Wednesday claimed they had seized power.
The officers said on television channel Gabon 24 that they represented all Gabonese security and defence forces. They said the election results were cancelled, all borders were closed until further notice and state institutions were dissolved.
The election committee announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64, had won the election with 64% of the vote early Wednesday morning.
A dozen uniformed soldiers appeared on state television later the same morning and announced that they had seized power.
The soldiers intended to “dissolve all institutions of the republic,” said a spokesman for the group, whose members were drawn from the gendarme, the republican guard and other elements of the security forces.