UPDATE - France condemns military coup in Gabon, monitors situation with attention

UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – France condemned the military coup in Gabon, a Central African country, the government spokesperson said on Wednesday.

"France is also monitoring the situation with much attention, and wished that the elections results, once announced, would be respected," Olivier Veran said in a news conference following the Council of Ministers in Paris.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne earlier said that France was monitoring the developments in coup-hit Gabon with the "utmost attention."

- Italy monitoring developments

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a short video on social media platform X that the 150 Italians in Gabon are safe.

“We ask all of them to be highly vigilant and to remain at home,” he added.

He said the crisis unit of the Italian Foreign Ministry and the country’s embassy in Libreville are closely following how the situation in Gabon is evolving.

He also said that the situation in Gabon and in the rest of Africa will be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Wednesday and Thursday.

- Situation in Gabon

A group of senior Gabonese army officers appeared on national television early Wednesday and announced that they had seized power.

The move came shortly after the Gabonese Election Center confirmed that incumbent President Ali Bongo officially won a third term as president with 64.27% of the votes.

*Giovanni Legorano contributed to this report from Rome.