Unraveling Gabon military takeover

A group of senior military officers in Gabon took over power last month, removing President Ali Bongo Ondimba whose family ruled the Central African country for almost 56 years.

This military takeover came shortly after Gabonese Election Center confirmed that Bongo had won a third term as president with 64.27% of the vote.

Gabon's coup leaders rejected the results and named General Oligui Nguema as the country's transitional president.

The people of oil-rich Gabon took to the streets to support the military takeover and celebrate the apparent end of a dynasty that began with Bongo's father, Omar, in 1967.

Gabon, a former French colony, is the second-biggest manganese producer in the world. This central African country mined an estimated 4.6 million metric tons of manganese in 2022.

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