Gabon military junta reopens air, land and sea borders

Military junta in Gabon has reopened the air, land and sea borders of the country after they were shut following a coup that deposed long-term leader, Ali Bongo. The head of the junta is also expected to be sworn in on Monday as transitional president…

Gabon reopened its borders on Saturday, according to an army spokesman, three days after they were closed during a military coup that deposed President Ali Bongo.

On Wednesday, military officers commanded by General Brice Oligui Nguema took control, placed Bongo under house arrest, and proclaimed Nguema as head of state, effectively ending the Bongo family’s 56-year reign.
The land, sea and air borders were opened because the military leader was “concerned with preserving respect for the rule of law, good relations with our neighbors and all states of the world” and wanted to keep its “international commitments”, the army spokesman said on national television.

The junta earlier said they had dissolved national institutions across Gabon and cancelled the election results that was controversially won by Bongo as well as shutting the border of the central African country.

The coup, the ninth in West and Central Africa in three years, has raised fears of a regional surge of military takeovers reversing democratic achievements recorded over the last two decades.

Meanwhile the junta is expected to swear-in General Nguema as “transitional president” later on Monday.
On Friday, the White House stated that it was interested in “viable diplomatic solutions” to the problems in Gabon and Niger, where a coup deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26