Military in Gabon says it has seized power from ill president

Ali Bongo.
(Image credit: Chris Jackson/AFP/Getty Images)

Early Monday, soldiers in Gabon took control of the national radio station, and in a brief message declared that the military has seized power of the West African country.

The coup had to be done in order to "restore democracy," the soldiers said, and a "National Restoration Council" has been formed. In the capital city of Libreville, there are tanks and armed vehicles in the streets, BBC News reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.