Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo under ‘house arrest’ after coup

DOUALA, Cameroon

Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba has been put "under house arrest,” declared the military junta that toppled the government in the central African country in a coup on Wednesday.

Ali Bongo is being kept "under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors", according to a statement read out on state television by the military junta named Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI).

The military seized power, denouncing "irresponsible, unpredictable governance resulting in a continuous deterioration of social cohesion, which risks leading the country into chaos."

The coup followed official results that showed Bongo winning a third term in office following the country’s election on Saturday.

The military, however, announced a cancellation of the result, and the dissolution of the country’s institutions, amid reports of gunfire in the capital Libreville on Wednesday.

Gabon is the latest country in Africa to experience a military takeover after members of Niger’s military seized power in the West African country late last month.