Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, voiced strong condemnation on Wednesday for what he referred to as an “attempted coup” in Gabon.
Earlier on Wednesday, rebel officers in the oil-rich central African nation declared their takeover of power following contested elections, during which President Ali Bongo Ondimba had been announced as the winner.
Bongo, aged 64, whose family has held control of Gabon for more than 55 years, was put under house arrest, and one of his sons was apprehended for treason, as stated by the leaders of the coup.
“(Faki) is following with great concern the situation in the Gabonese Republic and strongly condemns the attempted coup d’etat in the country as a way of resolving its current post-electoral crisis,” he said in a statement published on the AU website in French.
He “calls on the national army and security forces to adhere strictly to their republican vocation, to guarantee the physical integrity of the president of the republic, members of his family as well as those of his government”.
The chief of the AU commission also characterized the events of Wednesday as a “flagrant violation” of the legal and political frameworks established by the African Union.
“(Faki) encourages all political, civil and military actors in Gabon to favour peaceful political paths leading to the rapid return to democratic constitutional order in the country.”