There was violence in several cities after the result was first announced. The Constitutional Court's decision was read out on state television on Monday evening by the chief justice, Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo.

 "The election of Ali Bongo Ondimba as president of the Gabonese republic is confirmed," the judge said, according to the BBC.

According to the court, which controversially ruled that opposition representatives could not observe the re-count last month, Ben Bongo won the election with 41.79% of the vote.

The opposition politician, Pierre Mamboundou, came second with 25.64%, followed by the former interior minister, Andre Mba Obame, on 25.33%.

Mba Obame, who began a hunger strike in protest at the result of the recount, lost the runner-up spot after his share of the vote fell by 0.55%.
Gabon is sub-Saharan Africa's fourth biggest oil producer and Africa's second biggest wood exporter, although most of its 1.4 million people live in poverty.

August's election was called after the death of Omar Bongo, one of the world's richest men, who had ruled the nation for four decades.