Breaking: Celebrations Erupt in Gabon as Military Takes Over From President Ali Bongo, Photos Emerge
- Military officers in Gabon appeared on national television on Wednesday to declare they were seizing power
- This development has prompted celebrations and reports of gunfire on the streets of the capital
- The announcement came just minutes after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, also known as Ali Bongo, was deemed the victor of a contested election, extending his family’s half-century rule over the Central African nation
Libreville, Gabon - Several supporters of a military coup in Gabon have trooped to the streets.
Photos seen by Legit.ng showed residents applauding members of the security forces in the Plein Ciel district in Libreville, the Gabonese capital city. The Army had announced the removal of President Ali Bongo.
Source: Facebook
Gabon coup: Civilians jubilate
The mood on Wednesday, August 30, in Libreville, was noted in a live update on the Gabon crisis by Al Jazeera.
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The Bongo family has ruled the African country since it gained independence from France in 1960.
The apparent coup is a major blow to Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and allies who wish to sustain democracy in Africa. A coup had happened in Niger in July.
Gabon: Fani-Kayode predicts what will happen next
In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that a former minister of aviation of Nigeria, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Wednesday, August 30, said he is not surprised about the coup in Gabon.
Fani-Kayode, fondly called 'FFK', said Africans should “expect more coups in the Francophone countries of West and Central Africa”.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain shared his thoughts on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page.
Gabon: Facts about 'ousted' Ali Bongo
In another related article, Legit.ng reported that many woke up on Wednesday, August 30, to the news of the ouster of the democratically-elected president of Gabon, Ali Bongo.
Who is Bongo? Legit.ng writes on the ‘deposed’ African leader.
Bongo was originally born Alain Bernard. He became Ali and his father Omar (formerly Albert-Bernard Bongo) in 1973, after converting to Islam - the only members of their family to do so.
Source: Legit.ng
