How the world is reacting to the Gabon coup

A group of senior military officers in Gabon has said they had seized power, minutes after the Central African state's election body announced that President Ali Bongo had won a third term.

Below are reactions to what appeared to be the eighth military coup in West and Central Africa since 2020.

United Nations

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the coup in Gabon and called on all involved to "exercise restraint, engage in an inclusive and meaningful dialogue, and ensure that the rule of law and human rights are fully respected," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

"He also calls on the national army and security forces to guarantee the physical integrity of the president of the republic and his family," Dujarric said.

Morocco

Morocco has called for the preservation of stability in central Africa's Gabon.

Morocco is "following closely the evolution of the situation in the Gabonese republic", Rabat's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The kingdom "underlines the importance of preserving the stability of this brotherly country and the tranquillity of the population", it added.

The Moroccan ministry expressed confidence that Gabon's people and national institutions would move towards action "in the higher interest of the country, to safeguard the gains and respond to the aspirations of the Gabonese people".

United States

The United States is closely watching the situation in Gabon following a military coup, the White House has said.

"It's deeply concerning. We were going to watch this closely, and we're going to continue to do everything we can to support the idea of democratic ideals that are expressed by the African people," said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby.

"It's too soon to call this a trend," Kirby said of the several coups in the past year.

African Union

The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has said he "strongly condemns" what he described as an attempted coup in Gabon.

"(Faki) is following with great concern the situation in the Gabonese Re public and strongly condemns the attempted coup d'etat in the country as a way of resolving its current post-electoral crisis," he said in a statement published on the AU website in French.

He "calls on the national army and security forces to adhere strictly to their republican vocation, to guarantee the physical integrity of the president of the republic, members of his family as well as those of his government".

Türkiye

Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement said that Ankara was closely and carefully following developments in Gabon. The ministry expressed the wish for peace and stability to be restored in the country.

Nigeria/ECOWAS

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the current chair of the West African bloc ECOWAS, is working closely with other African heads of state on how to respond to an attempted coup in Gabon, his spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale said.

Tinubu is watching developments in Gabon and the "autocratic contagion" spreading across the continent "with deep concern," the spokesperson said.

France

France "condemns the military coup that is under way in Gabon", government spokesperson Olivier Veran told reporters in Paris after military officers announced on television that they had overturned the government.

"We condemn the military coup and recall our commitment to free and transparent elections," Veran added.

China

"China closely follows the development of the situation in Gabon and calls on relevant parties in Gabon to focus on the fundamental interests of the country and the people, resolve differences peacefully through dialogue, and restore normal order as soon as possible," Chinese Foreign Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

"And also ensure the personal safety of President Bongo, maintain national peace, stability, and overall development," Wenbin added.

The European Union

"If this is confirmed, it is another military coup which increases instability in the whole region," the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said.

"The whole area - starting with Central African Republic, then Mali, then Burkina Faso, now Niger, maybe Gabon - it's in a very difficult situation and certainly the ministers ... have to have a deep thought on what is going on there and how we can improve our policy with respect to these countries," he added.

Russia

"Moscow has received with concern reports of a sharp deterioration in the internal situation in the friendly African country. We continue to closely monitor the development of the situation and hope for its speedy stabilisation," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth voiced fears about a military coup in Gabon, which joined the grouping last year, and said it was monitoring the situation closely.

Secretary General Patricia Scotland said the situation was "deeply concerning", adding: "The Commonwealth Charter is clear that member states must uphold the rule of law and the principles of democracy at all times".