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AFP
Gabonese soldiers stand in front of the headquarters of the national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Television Gabonaise (RTG) in the capital, Libreville
Two soldiers who took part in Monday’s attempted coup in Gabon have been killed, the president’s office says.
They were shot dead after security officers stormed the national radio building which they had taken over. Three others are under arrest.
The junior officers claimed they seized power “to restore democracy” in oil-rich Gabon, where the ailing leader’s family has ruled for 50 years.
“The situation is under control,” the presidency statement said.
One of the rebels was on the run for a brief period, before being found hiding under a bed, reports Radio France Internationale (RFI).
“The situation is calm. The gendarmes who are often stationed there have taken control of the entire area around the radio and TV headquarters, so everything is back to normal”, said Guy-Bertrand Mapangou, a spokesman for the government of the west African country.
Mr Mapangou said that the army generals, civil society and opposition leaders mentioned in the rebels’ statement as potential supporters would be investigated.
The spokesman for Gabon’s main opposition party has however denied any knowledge of a link with the rebel soldiers.
Claye Martial Obame Akué said that he wasn’t aware of any link between the soldiers and Jean Ping – the leader of the Coalition for the New Republic, RFI reports.
Current leader Ali Bongo succeeded his father Omar Bongo as president in 2009. He narrowly won re-election in 2016 in a poll marred by violence and accusations of fraud.
What happened this morning?
Rebel soldiers took control of the national radio station in the capital, Libreville, at 04:30 local time (03:30 GMT) to read a short statement announcing a “National Restoration Council”.
They entered the station after “neutralising” gendarmes in front of the building before making their broadcast, news agency AFP reports, quoting a statement from the presidency.
The security services later stormed the building and shot dead two rebel soldiers and freed journalists who were being held hostage, the report says.
Authorities had earlier said five rebels had entered the building and four had been arrested. A later statement said six rebels were involved while other reports put the number at seven.
- How can you tell a coup is happening?
In a video circulating on social media, three young soldiers can be seen in a radio studio wearing military fatigues and holding guns.
Lt Kelly Ondo Obiang, who said he represented a group called the Patriotic Movement of the Defence and Security Forces of Gabon, specifically appealed to young people to “take charge of their destiny”.
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Gabon Television
Soldiers announced they had seized power on state television
The insurgents called on soldiers to take control of the transport system, ammunition reserves and airports “in the interests of the nation”.
BBC Afrique’s Firmain Eric Mbadinga says the coup attempt came as a huge surprise. The army has always been seen as loyal to the Bongo family, he says, because it is dominated by the presidential guard, who mostly come from Mr Bongo’s home region.
Most of the capital remains calm, an eyewitness told the Reuters news agency. The French government and the African Union condemned the attempted coup.
Five things to know about Gabon
- Compared to many other African states, the former French colony has seen much less political turmoil, and has had just three presidents since 1960
- Former ruler Omar Bongo dominated Gabonese politics for almost four decades, crushing dissent
- It is a major oil producer but one third of its people live in poverty
- It has a population of 1.8 million people, with an average life expectancy of 62 years. The youth unemployment rate is around 35%
- The country’s national symbol is the black panther
What more do we know about President Ali Bongo?
The president’s term in office has been overshadowed by a long-running French investigation into allegations of embezzlement involving the Bongo family’s assets.
Mr Bongo, who has been out of the country for two months, reportedly suffered a stroke in October and received treatment in Morocco.
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Reuters
The Gabonese president is being treated in Saudi Arabia
He sought to put an end to the rumours about his health with a televised new year message in which he said he was feeling fine.
Soldiers said they had been disappointed by the message, calling it “a pitiful sight” and a “relentless attempt to cling onto power.”
Mr Bongo has been criticised over his prominent role in the Freemasons – an organisation whose Gabonese chapter he led as lodge master.
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BBC News
But his supporters point to his role in attempting to diversify Gabon’s oil-dependent economy, in the face of declining oil reserves.
President Trump has deployed soldiers to Gabon to protect US citizens amid fears of violent protests in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo following its presidential election.