In response to the news of the overthrow of the government in Gabon on Wednesday, Morocco has issued a statement stressing that it is “closely monitoring” the situation.
In the statement, Morocco emphasized the importance of preserving the stability of the country and the tranquility of its population.
The statement further explains that Morocco “trusts in the wisdom of the Gabonese nation, its vital forces, and its national institutions to move towards a perspective that allows them to act in the best interests of the country,”
It added that Morocco further trusts the Central African nation to “safeguard the achievements it has made, and meet the aspirations of the Gabonese people.”
The statement comes in the wake of the military coup that rocked Gabon earlier today.
A spokesperson of the military said on national television that the ousted president, Ali Bongo Odimba, is under house arrest.
This week, President Bongo won the elections and was set to serve for a third term. He has been in power since 2009.
According to CNN, the military spokesperson said authorities are set to investigate charges against the president’s son, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, who was arrested alongside six other individuals for “high treason.”
The spokesperson further informed the people that “all the institutions of the republic are dissolved: in particular the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, Economic and Social and Environmental Council, and the Elections Council of Gabon.”
The Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency released a video in which the president, while under house arrest, implored his “associates” to “raise their voices.”
He also mentioned that his son was in one location, his wife in another, and he himself was at his residence, specifically in what appeared to be a library, expressing confusion about the current situation.
