Military in Gabon says it has seized power from ill president
Early Monday, soldiers in Gabon took control of the national radio station, and in a brief message declared that the military has seized power of the West African country.
The coup had to be done in order to "restore democracy," the soldiers said, and a "National Restoration Council" has been formed. In the capital city of Libreville, there are tanks and armed vehicles in the streets, BBC News reports.
President Ali Bongo rose to power after his father, dictator Omar Bongo, died in 2009. He reportedly had a stroke in October and went to Morocco for treatment. He delivered an address for the New Year, telling the country he was doing well, but the soldiers said it was really a "relentless attempt to cling onto power" and "a pitiful sight."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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