Gabonese deposed president, Ali Bongo Ondimba has known as on his “friends all over the world to make noise” whereas beneath home arrest following a coup within the central African nation.
A video from an nameless supply reveals Bongo distressed and making a plea for help.
“I’m Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon and I’m to send a message to all the friends that we have, all over the world to tell them to make noise, to make noise, for the people here have arrested me and my family. My son is somewhere, my wife is in another place and I’m at the residence” Bongo stated.
“Right now, I’m under residence (arrest, ed.) and nothing happening, and nothing is happening, I don’t know what… what’s going on. So, I’m calling you to make noise, to make noise, to make noise really. I’m… I’m thanking you, thank you.” he concluded.
VIDEO: ‘Make noise, I’ve been arrested’, Gabon’s Ali Bongo begs ‘mates’ for help
A video has surfaced on social media the place the ousted Gabonese President, Ali Bongo, was begging his worldwide mates to “make noise” following Wednesday’s coup.
In the 51-second video,… pic.twitter.com/qTiYgumNPy
— Punch Newspapers (@CellPunch) August 30, 2023
Military officers introduced on Wednesday morning that they have been overturning the federal government, in an obvious coup focusing on President Ali Bongo Ondimba who has been in energy for 14 years and whose re-election was simply introduced.
His household has dominated the oil-rich African nation for over 55 years.
While the officers made their televised assertion saying the cancellation of the vote outcomes one of many officers stated “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved.
The tackle was learn by an officer flanked by a gaggle of a dozen military colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, common troopers and others.
It got here moments after the nationwide election authority stated Bongo, 64, had received a 3rd time period in Saturday’s election with 64.27 p.c of the vote.
Bongo was first elected in 2009 following the demise of his father who had dominated the nation for 41 years.
The announcement got here in the course of an in a single day curfew and amid a nationwide web shutdown, imposed by Bongo’s authorities as polling drew to an in depth on Saturday to forestall the unfold of “false news” and attainable violence.
Internet was restored on Wednesday morning after the TV tackle.
“Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis,” the officer stated on TV channel Gabon 24.
He stated the current election “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon.”
“We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officer stated, including that he was talking on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions”.
“To this end, the general elections of 26th August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled,” he added.
Africanews/Hauwa M.
