4 September 2009

The pronouncement of Ali Bongo as winner of the presidential elections in Gabon has not gone down well with opposition supporters, throwing the country into turbulence.

The unrest makes for a difficult start to Ali Bongo’s presidency. Already, an employee of a Franco-American business group, Schlumberger, has been seriously wounded and damage has been reported from three petrol filling stations belonging to the French company Total. The opposition leader, Pierre Mamboundou, has announced the death of one of his party members, blaming the current disturbances squarely on the army.

Ali Bongo is calling on all interested parties to respect the election results. According to him, "Gabon is a lawful and democratic country country, the people have spoken and the verdict must be respected."

Opposition supporters claim the French government has been involved in manipulating the election and wasted no time in setting on fire the French consulate at Port-Gentil. There are reports that the French have deployed a battalion to their embassy to protect it.

The French Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophony, Alain Joyandet, has called on French citizens in Gabon to stay indoors. Speaking before the results were announced, foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said "all measures” had been taken to protect French citizens, but also firmly denied his government's involvement in the elections.

Article excerpted and translated from the original French by Michael Tantoh.

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