Army officers say they are taking power in Gabon

Army officers person appeared connected nationalist tv successful Gabon to accidental they person taken power.

They said they were annulling the results of Saturday's election, successful which President Ali Bongo was declared the winner.

The electoral committee said Mr Bongo had won conscionable nether two-thirds of the votes successful an predetermination the absorption argued was fraudulent.

His overthrow would extremity his family's 53-year clasp connected powerfulness successful Gabon.

Twelve soldiers appeared connected tv announcing they were cancelling the results of the predetermination and dissolving "all the institutions of the republic".

One of the soldiers said connected TV transmission Gabon 24: "We person decided to support bid by putting an extremity to the existent regime."

This, helium added, was down to "irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting successful a continuing deterioration successful societal cohesion that risks starring the state into chaos".

Mr Bongo came to powerfulness erstwhile his begetter Omar died successful 2009.

In 2018, helium suffered a changeable which sidelined him for astir a twelvemonth and pb to calls for him to measurement aside.

The pursuing year, a failed coup effort saw mutinying soldiers sent to prison.