Commonwealth condemns Gabon coup, insists on democracy

The Commonwealth on Wednesday expressed concern over the military coup in Gabon.

A group of senior military officers had earlier on Wednesday taken over power minutes after the Gabonese Election Centre announced President Ali Bongo Ondimba as the winner of Saturday’s election in the Central African nation.

The electoral body announced that Bongo had secured 64.27 percent of the vote while his main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa scored 30.77 percent to secure a third term in office.

The coup plotters appeared on television shortly thereafter and announced the power takeover and cancellation of the president’s election.

The military officers had since put Ondinma who is also the chairman of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) under house arrest.

In a short statement issued on Wednesday morning in London, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said the coup, the second in Africa in one month, was deeply concerning.

She said the 56-member group was monitoring the situation.

Gabon joined the Commonwealth last year.

“The Commonwealth Charter is clear that member states must uphold the rule of law and the principles of democracy at all times,” the secretary-general stated.

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