Gabon security forces storm opposition headquarters after disputed election

Police arrested 1,000 people as security forces fanned out across Gabon’s capital Thursday, following a night of riots and looting that erupted when President Ali Bongo was declared victor of disputed polls.

The opposition alleged election fraud after results announced Wednesday showed that a political dynasty stretching back to the 1960s would remain in power in this oil-rich Central African country. Bongo took office in 2009 after an election marred by violence, succeeding his father Omar Bongo who had come to power in 1967.

Opposition supporters greeted the election result with anger. A government spokesman has however explained that the operation was to root out “criminals” who had set fire to the parliament building on Wednesday.

Police also fired teargas in clashes with around 100 opposition supporters, according to a Reuters witness.

Translation: The global community must react immediately to the presidential guard being ordered to fire on the people.

“The (Bongo) family are repeating same scenario for nearly half a century”.

Election commission members belonging to the opposition immediately denounced the result, with one commissioner for Ping’s party, Paul Marie Gondjout, saying the vote had been “stolen”.

He has called for voting figures from each polling station to made public.

Yesterday afternoon, Interior Minister Pascal Moubelet Boubeya announced Bongo had won 49.8% of the vote to Ping’s 48.23% on a turnout of 59.46% of the electorate.

Before entering politics Mr Ping was a career diplomat who served as the chairman of the African Union Commission. His avenue for contesting the result appeared uncertain.

There was no independent confirmation of events at the headquarters.

A Red Cross worker who gave his name as Gildas said one of 15 people injured who was brought in by an army truck had died on Thursday.

“The mission condemns the lack of transparency in the electoral bodies which failed to make essential information available to the campaigns, like the electoral roll or a list of polling stations”, Mariya Gabriel, a member of the European Union team told Agence France Presse on Monday.

More than 200 people have been arrested for looting in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, where violence broke out following a disputed presidential election result, the police chief said Thursday.

“We think it is necessary to publish the results of all the polling stations”.

“We have said that the people of Gabon are in danger”.

“Our objective is to condemn the violences and lootings, to call on every party, every side in Gabon to exert moderation and restraint”, Delattre told reporters.