British condemnation of military coup in Gabon

Britain condemned the military coup in the African country of Gabon and called for the restoration of constitutional order.

“The UK condemns the unconstitutional seizure of power by the military in Gabon and calls for the restoration of constitutional order of government,” the British Foreign Office said in a statement.

“We call on all parties and citizens to follow the legal and constitutional processes to resolve electoral disputes,” the statement said.

The statement also recommended following travel advisories and sharing the phone number that British citizens residing in the country can call if needed.

THEY CANCELED THE ELECTIONS AND CLOSED THE BORDERS

In Gabon, a Central African country, a group of soldiers, who entered the national television building at dawn on August 30, announced that they had taken over the administration.

The military announced that the elections held on August 26 were canceled and the country’s borders closed.

The current President Ali Bongo Ondimba won the presidential elections held on August 26 for the third time.

Ali Bongo, 64, replaced his father, Omar Bongo, in 2009, who ruled the country for more than 41 years.

A curfew was imposed alleging that “violence” was practiced in the last hours of the electoral process in the country, and the Internet was restricted while the post-election vote counting process continued.
Opponents, on the other hand, reacted to the government’s practices, with opposition leader Ondo Ossa claiming that the elections were rigged in his presidential fight against Ali Bongo. (AA)