Gabon: Thousands take part in pro-Bongo protests

Thousands of pro-Ali Bongo supporters marched in Gabon’s capital Libreville on Wednesday, as a show of solidarity with the president after his re-election in the August 27th polls was disputed by the opposition.

The demonstrators marched peacefully for nearly an hour in the streets of the popular district “of Akébé Bridge”, which is a stronghold of the Bongo family. They were accompanied by anti-riot police.

The group that comprised members of the Youth Union of the Gabonese Democratic Party, said that they did not want Jean Ping, claiming that Bongo was democratically re-elected.

“Claims have been made against us, challenging the election of our candidate Ali Bongo Ondimba. Our first duty is to prove that these allegations are baseless and then we will also show elsewhere there have been unclear things which are reproachable to our opponents,” said Faustin Boukoubi, the secretary general of the Gabonese Democratic party (PDG).

Jean Ping had filed an appeal with Constitutional Court challenging Bongo’s re-election, and calling for a votes recount.

Ali Bongo’s lawyers had until Wednesday, to table their legal arguments with the Constitutional Court, in response to the appeal filed by Ping. They have also added new elements accusing Ping of electoral fraud fraud in three other provinces.