GABON- The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has strongly condemned the attempted coup in Gabon.
The rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state announced on Wednesday that they had seized power following disputed elections, in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba had been declared victor.
President Bongo was placed under house arrest and one of his sons was detained for treason.
The African Union chief called on the national army and security forces to adhere strictly to their republican vocation and to guarantee the physical integrity of the president, his family, and his government.
He also described Wednesday’s events as a “flagrant violation” of the legal and political instruments of the African Union.
Mahamat encouraged all political, civil, and military actors in Gabon to favor peaceful political paths leading to the rapid return to democratic constitutional order in the country.
The attempted coup is the latest in a series of political crises in Gabon. The Bongo family has ruled the country for over 55 years, and there have been long-standing allegations of corruption and nepotism.
The disputed elections in December 2022 sparked widespread protests, and the coup attempt is likely to further destabilize the country.
