Gabon: President Ali Bongo under house arrest, according to military putschists

Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba is "under house arrest" surrounded by his family and doctors, and one of his sons has been arrested, notably for "high treason", the military behind a coup d'état announced on Wednesday morning.

"President Ali Bongo is being kept under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors", according to a statement read out on state television by the military of the Comité de Transition et de Restauration des Institutions (CTRI).

Noureddin Bongo Valentin, son and close adviser to the head of state, Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, Mr. Bongo's chief of staff, Mohamed Ali Saliou, his deputy chief of staff, Abdul Hosseini, another presidential adviser, Jessye Ella Ekogha, special adviser and presidential spokesman, as well as the number one and two members of Mr. Bongo's all-powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) "are under arrest". 

Bongo "have been arrested", continued the army colonel, who had read out a communiqué during the night announcing that the military were "putting an end to the regime".

They have been arrested for "high treason against the institutions of the State, massive misappropriation of public funds, organized international financial embezzlement, forgery, falsification of the signature of the President of the Republic, active corruption and drug trafficking", he added.