Military took over the power in Gabon and said that A New Year’s address by President Ali Bongo Ondimba is reinforcing doubts about his ability to continue to carry out the responsibilities of his office, Africanews reported on Monday.
The successful coup attempt in the oil-rich central African nation means changing the president and his office. On Monday morning, military officers in have seized the national radio station. In their address, they called for the need for national restoration, saying that Bongo’s era is over. In fact, Mr Bongo took over the reins in 2009 following the death of his father Omar Bongo who had been president for over four decades.
The soldiers stated as well that Bongo’s Ney Year address sounded extremely disappointed for the people.
Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang, leader of the self-declared Patriotic Movement of the Defense and Security Forces of Gabon, has chosen the right moment for coup d’etat: the president is recuperating from a stroke in Rabat, Morocco. On the eve of 2019, Mr Bongo for the first time delivered his New Year address from the Moroccan capital. After a stroke last October, the Gabonian national leader was transferred to Rabat from a Saudi hospital.
The experts say, the military officers have started to develop the action plan since October er when president really wasn’t able to carry out the responsibilities of his office.
According to AFP, the shots were heard in the Gabon capital of Libreville. It comes as US president Donald Trump said on the weekend that about 80 US military personnel and “appropriate combat equipment” had deployed to Gabon amid fears of unrest in neighbouring Congo.
The troops were to provide security for US citizens and staffers and diplomatic facilities, said Trump and added that even more would deploy as needed to Gabon, Congo or the neighbouring Republic of Congo,
