Gabon’s army has announced the reopening of the country’s borders, which were closed in the aftermath of the military coup that ousted former President Ali Bongo.
A spokesperson for Gabon’s military rulers made this announcement on state television, stating that they had “decided with immediate effect to reopen the land, sea, and air borders as of this Saturday.”
Previously, a group of 12 Gabonese soldiers had declared the closure of the country’s borders until further notice in a statement broadcast on Gabon 24 television channel.
The coup was led by General Brice Oligui Nguema, the head of the elite Republican Guard, and took place just moments after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled Gabon for 55 years, was declared the victor in presidential elections.
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The opposition had branded the election results as fraudulent.
As a part of the coup, the leaders dissolved the nation’s institutions and canceled the election results, in addition to closing the borders.
General Brice Oligui Nguema is set to be sworn in as the “transitional president” on Monday.
It’s worth noting that several other African countries, including Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have experienced coups in the past three years, and their new rulers have resisted demands for a swift return to civilian rule.