On the heels of a contentious 2023 presidential election in Gabon, a faction of Gabonese soldiers claimed to have seized control of the nation via a televised announcement. Having formed the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI), these soldiers disposed of the election results that pronounced President Ali Bongo the victor amidst allegations of electoral fraud. Following the coup, the group declared Gabon’s borders to be shut, suspending the country’s Senate, National Assembly and Constitutional Court.
Bongo was declared to have won 64.27 percent of ballots cast in the election, while his contender, Albert Ondo Ossa, reportedly received 30.77 percent. Ossa has lodged several accusations alleging fraud in the process. Following the elections, the Gabonese government imposed an internet blackout and suspended three French news channels under the pretense of a lack of “objectivity and balance”. Allegations of Bongo’s engagement in election fraud also arose in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential elections, in which he was elected.
The declaration by Gabonese soldiers comes one month after a similar coup occurred in Niger, a fellow former French colony. There, President Mohammed Bazoum was deposed by members of Niger’s presidential guard. Incidentally, a recent surge in anti-French sentiment was observed in the country, as protesters supporting the coup expressed anti-French slogans while applauding Russian President Putin. The junta in Niger also asked the French ambassador to leave the country.
Gabon previously witnessed a coup attempt in 2019, after Bongo suffered a stroke. Despite the attempt being ultimately unsuccessful, it resulted in the death of two pro-coup soldiers and the arrest of eight others. The only successful coup in Gabon’s history dates to 1964, achieved less than six years after Gabon gained its independence.
Ali Bongo, who is the son of former Gabonese President Omar Bongo, is known for his close ties with France and the controversial accumulation of sizeable personal wealth while in office, a trait that also marked his father’s tenure. Omar Bongo led Gabon from 1967 until 2009.
The situation in Gabon is unfolding rapidly and awaits further developments.