Gabon arrests four soldiers after coup attempt
Earlier, army lieutenant Ondo Obiang Kelly had read a statement on state TV saying young army officers were disappointed with a speech by President Ali Bongo on December 31
Libreville/Douala — Gabonese authorities arrested a group of mutineering soldiers, France 24 reported, after military officers seized Gabon’s state broadcaster and announced plans to “save a democracy in danger” in what appeared to be a coup against ailing President Ali Bongo. Order has been restored and Gabonese have been urged to go about their normal business, the French broadcaster reported, citing communication minister Guy-Bertrand Mapangou. The report came hours after Ondo Obiang Kelly, an army lieutenant, read a statement on state TV saying young army officers were disappointed with a speech by Bongo on December 31 that he broadcast from Morocco, where he’s been convalescing for two months after a stroke. “While he attempted to quickly end the debate on his health, the speech only reinforced doubts about his capacity to handle the heavy responsibilities that come with the position of president of the republic,’’ Kelly said on Monday. That’s why the Patriotic Movement of Youn...
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