Gabon’s presidential guard attacked the opposition party headquarters overnight, killing one person and injuring at least 20, opposition representatives said yesterday following protests against the re-election of the Central African nation’s president.
Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba beat opposition candidate Jean Ping by a slim margin, setting the stage for unrest.
At about 1am yesterday, the presidential guard shot live rounds during an attack on Ping’s opposition headquarters, injuring at least 20 people, said Paul Marie Gondjout, an opposition electoral representative who was there.
Photo: AFP
Ping’s campaign director, Rene Ndemezo’o Obiang, said one person was killed. Ping was not in the building.
A resident said government forces also attacked the opposition radio and television stations.
Before the attack on the opposition headquarters, police fired tear gas at hundreds of opposition demonstrators in the capital, Libreville, who responded by setting fire to cars and debris in front of the National Assembly. Flames and smoke rose in the night sky.
Witnesses said demonstrators in several other districts vandalized a mall, looted a bank and burned buildings, including one belonging to the vice prime minister.
Looting and clashes also followed Bongo’s previous election win in 2009, when he came to power after the death of his father, former Gabonese president Omar Bongo.
Ali Bongo Ondimba won the election with 49.8 percent of the vote, while Ping had 48.23 percent. The constitutional court must finalize provisional results, which came a day later than expected.
EU observers criticized what they called a “lack of transparency” and the EU called for electoral officials to publish results from all polling stations.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged political leaders and their supporters “to refrain from further acts that could undermine the peace and stability of the country.”
He also called on the security forces to exercise restraint.
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