We are defending peace – Gabon soldiers’ statement

SourceBBC

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Soldiers in Gabon called for “calm and serenity” as they announced they had taken over power in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

They said they had decided “to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime” soon after the electoral body declared that President Ali Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years, had won a third term

In their address on national TV, the soldiers said the elections “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon”.

Here’s some of the quotes from the statement read on TV, as translated by the AFP news agency: