ATTEMPTED COUP: Gabon govt shuts down internet connection, kills 2 suspects

The government of Gabon has shut down internet connection in the oil-rich Central African nation, a day after soldiers attempted a coup d’etat while President Ali Bongo was out of the country receiving medical treatment in Morocco.

However, the move to blackout sources of information during the insurrection by shutting down internet connection was denounced by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

“Shutting down the internet and broadcasting services during times of crisis makes it impossible for journalists to carry out their work efficiently and safely,” said the group’s Africa programme coordinator Angela Quintal.

Read also: GABON: Govt claims it has foiled coup attempt

“Citizens are robbed of access to the reliable information that they need to make decisions. We call on authorities in Gabon to immediately and fully restore access to the internet and lift all restrictions on broadcasting,” she said in a statement.

According to government spokesman Guy-Betrand Mapangou, two coup plotters were killed and other army officers were arrested after the government of Gabon thwarted an attempted military coup on Monday.

A presidential statement reported by RFI revealed that five army officers who took over state radio were arrested while two other coup plotters were killed when security forces took over and freed some hostages at the state broadcasting offices and a major thoroughfare in the capital, Libreville, which were the only areas taken over by the officers.

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