Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo under ‘house arrest’ after coup

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) – Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba has been put "under house arrest,” declared the military junta that toppled the government in the central African country in a coup on Wednesday.

Ali Bongo is being kept "under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors", according to a statement read out on state television by the military junta named Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI).

The military seized power, denouncing "irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuous deterioration of social cohesion, which risks leading the country into chaos."

The coup followed official results that showed Bongo winning a third term in office following the country’s election on Saturday.

The military, however, announced a cancellation of the result, and the dissolution of the country’s institutions, amid reports of gunfire in the capital Libreville on Wednesday.

Gabon is the latest country in Africa to experience a military takeover after members of Niger’s military seized power in the West African country late last month.