Gabon coup: Thousands celebrate as military officers put newly re-elected president Bongo under house arrest

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AFP. -Bongo's son and close adviser Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou as well as his deputy, two other presidential advisers and the two top officials in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) "have been arrested,", according to the military official statement -They are accused of treason, embezzlement, corruption and falsifying the president's signature, among other allegations, the statement added -A country of just 2.3 million people, Gabon has been ruled by the Bongo family for more than 55 out of its 63 years since independence from France in 1960 -Notably, another group of mutinous soldiers attempted a coup in January 2019, while Bongo was in Morocco recovering from a stroke, but was quickly overpowered. -Paris maintains a military presence in many of its former territories -- including Gabon where it has 370 soldiers permanently deployed, some in the capital Libreville, according to the French defence ministry website -According to reports, Omar Bongo was one of France's closest allies in the post-colonial era and his son has long been a regular in Paris, where his family owns an extensive real estate portfolio that is being investigated by anti-corruption magistrates.

-Videos and images emerged of people celebrating in support of the putschists in the street of Libreville, Gabon -Russia has expressed concern over the situation in Gabon. Further, China has also called for "all sides" in Gabon to guarantee the safety of Bongo, “resolve differences through dialogue, (and) restore normal order as soon as possible."