By RFIPalled on 07-01-2019Modified on 07-01-2019 at 19:22

In Gabon, an attempted coup failed on 7 January. Soldiers have carried out a coup attempt while the head of state, Ali Bongo, has been convalescing for several weeks in Morocco.

Little information has filtered at this stage on the abortive putsch of January 7 in Gabon. A video that has looped on Radio Télévision Gabonaise (RTH) between 4am and 7.30am this morning shows three soldiers wearing a green beret. One of them, Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang, speaks. He introduces himself as an assistant commander of the Republican Guard, the team responsible for protecting the presidency. In this video, this military official expresses his frustration following the message delivered by the Head of State on the occasion of the New Year.

"Save Gabon"

This movement claimed to want to " save Gabon ". In the statement read this morning on the radio, Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang criticized the institutions he deems " illegitimate and illegal ". This group of soldiers hoped to set up a "national council for the restoration". He called on citizens to join the National Assembly and cited names, including that of General Jean Rémi Ntumpa Lebani, a senior officer from Haut-Ogooué who served a prison sentence following another abortive putsch in 2009 .

Other personalities were named such as Colonel Rapontchombo, army officer, trade unionists Jean Rémi Yama and Marcel Libama as well as politicians such as Laurence Ndong, close to Jean Ping, and the former MP of the CEO (Democratic Party of Gabon), Bertrand Zibi.

For his part, the Minister of Communication and government spokesman, Guy Bertrand Mapangou, said that this coup attempt was led by five soldiers who are part of the "company of honor ". He also ensures that the situation is under control. Guy Bertrand Mapangou minimizes the impact of this event. He called this morning the population not to follow the slogan launched by " this small group ".

Bongo's health in question

This attempted coup comes just a week after the speech of President Ali Bongo supposed to reassure the Gabonese. The head of state appeared in public for the first time since his hospitalization on October 24 in Saudi Arabia.

In his message to the Nation, Ali Bongo had however addressed his state of health. He admitted to having " gone through a difficult time, " while adopting a reassuring tone. However, says analyst Mays Mouissi, " the speech of the president did not achieve his goal : it is the physical form of the president that people have retained. This worried more than anything else .

Faced with this prolonged absence, civil society, like the political parties, express punctually their impatience, even their skepticism about how to manage current affairs. How can the decrees adopted in the Council of Ministers be implemented without the signature of the Head of State? In addition, next week, a new National Assembly must be installed and the government must resign following the legislative elections last October.

One question remains unanswered, namely the number of people actually involved in this coup attempt.

    On the same subject

    [Direct] Gabon: Two dead among the mutineers, the leader of the arrested commando

    Gabon: Military Announce "Catering Council" on National Radio

    Missed coup in Gabon: back on the wire of the events of the morning

    Gabon: many uncertainties about Ali Bongo's New Year's greetings

    Gabon: dispersal of an improvised march of Jean Ping activists

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