Gabon coup attempt sees military chiefs declare election results "cancelled" and "end to current regime"

A group of high-ranking military officers in the West African nation of Gabon announced on public television Wednesday that they were "putting an end to the current regime" and annulling the results of national elections. The statement came just after the country's election authority declared President Ali Bongo Ondima the winner of another term in office. 

Bongo has been in power in the country for 14 years, following in the footsteps of his father who led the nation for more than four decades before him. The status and whereabouts of the seemingly-ousted leader were not immediately clear Wednesday. French news agency AFP reported that the area around his residence in the capital Libreville appeared to be quiet, but that gunfire was heard elsewhere during the officers' announcement.

If the coup attempt in Gabon is successful, it will be the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020. The last one, in Niger, took place in July. High-ranking military officers have also seized power in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad.