Internet access in Gabon has been restored after a three-day interruption due to the presidential elections, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Earlier, after the polling stations closed, a curfew was imposed in the country and internet access was blocked. A government representative stated that this was done to prevent violence, incitement to violence, and the spread of false information. Prior to this, the external borders of Gabon had been closed. As Interior Minister Lambert-Noël Matha stated, there were forces within the country capable of undermining stability and peace. The broadcast of the French television channel France 24 and the radio station RFI was also suspended.
The coup occurred almost immediately after Gabon’s national electoral center announced that incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba had been reelected for a third term with 64.2% of the votes. The main rival of the head of state was Albert Ondo Ossa, who received 30.7% of the votes. The opposition has claimed electoral violations and disagreed with the results.
