Gunfire heard in streets as Gabon military stage coup

Gabon’s ousted president Ali Bongo has appealed for his “friends” to “make noise” after the military staged a coup overnight. In a video apparently shot in his office, the man whose family has ruled the oil-rich African nation for almost 56 years appeared to suggest he did not know the whereabouts of his family. Military officers announced on national television that they had taken power following the disputed re-election of the 64-year-old Bongo. The uniformed group claimed to represent all security and defence forces in the central African nation. They said all borders had been closed and the election results cancelled. Read the best of our journalism: Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: Find us on Facebook: Find us on Twitter: Find us on Instagram: