The President of Gabon, Ali Bongo has been placed under house arrest by military coup leaders in the country, while one of his sons has been arrested for treason.
This is coming hours after military officers in Gabon took over power from President Bongo who was recently reelected.
Giving reason for their action, the coup leaders said serious institutional, political, economic and social crises were factors responsible for the coup that they tagged, ‘necessary’ for the progress of the West African country.
The coup leaders upon taking over in the country dissolved all the institutions of the republic, the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court.
According to Al-Jazeera, Gabon coup leaders on Wednesday disclosed that President Bongo is under house arrest and one of his sons has been arrested for “treason”.
The coup leaders said in a statement read on state TV, “President Ali Bongo is under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors.”
Al Jazeera’s reporter, Nicolas Haque reporting from Dakar, Senegal said there is heavy presence of security forces on the streets of Libreville.
Haque said, “The presidential guards seems to have taken control of the presidential palace and they have taken key positions around the National Assembly and the Senate.”
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