Gabon army officers say they have seized power after election

FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo/

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - A group of senior military officers in Gabon claimed they had seized power in the early hours of Wednesday, minutes after the Central African state's election body announced that President Ali Bongo had won a third term.

The officers said on television channel Gabon 24 that they represented all Gabonese security and defence forces. They said the election results were cancelled, all borders were closed until further notice and state institutions were dissolved.