The military’s takeover of Gabon is a “flagrant violation” of the regulations of the African Union (AU), one of its top officials has said.
AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat is following the situation “with great concern”, a statement says. He “strongly condemns the coup attempt in the country as a way of resolving its crisis current post-election”.
The statement also calls for the army and security forces to guarantee “the physical integrity of the president of the republic”, along with his relatives and other government officials.
The commissioner stops short of calling for President Bongo to be reinstated, instead encouraging “all political, civilian and military players in Gabon to favor peaceful political paths leading to the rapid return to democratic constitutional order”.
Gabon has been a member of the AU – a grouping of 55 African states – since 1963.
Source: BBC
