Gabon - election violence

Gabonese police battle looters in Port Gentil

Article published on the 2009-09-05 Latest update 2009-09-05 15:41 TU

Men walk by tyres set on fire by opposition supporters in Libreville, Gabon
(Credit: Reuters)

Police battled looters overnight in the coastal town of Port Gentil for the second day in a row as authorities imposed a curfew. The police station and French companies have been attacked. Protesters have already destroyed public buildings and a sport and social club run by the French oil company Total in Port Gentil.

Officials have struggled to deal with protesters in Gabon for the past three days since the election results were announced naming Ali Bongo the winner in the presidential polls.

At least two people have been shot dead since the results were announced.

Libreville is now calm and "it looks like the unrest is still going on, but not during the day," said Correspondent Lionel Kwatzi in Libreville. "The violence apparently occurs during the night.. we have a lot of people coming out and sabotaging or burning out shops," he said.

Authorities hope that tensions will calm down, but have already beefed up security in Libreville on Saturday for the World Cup qualifying match between Gabon and Cameroon.

"Gabon is in a good position to calm down if they win this match. A lot is at stake," said Kwatzi. "If they win it will contribute to ease tension amongst people, especially those whose candidates did not win (the election)," he said.

"If Gabon doesn't win, they will consider this a double defeat and this will certainly revive the tension in their hearts," he added.

Demonstrators accuse France of endorsing the election after it accepted Bongo as the winner on Friday amidst cries of vote-rigging. Some believe that the results were part of a French conspiracy to fix the election.

"There was barely any delay in the preparation and the carrying out of the election. It was all done transparently. France did not intervene. France did not have a candidate," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Friday.

Survie, a French group that which lobbies to clean up Paris's relations with Africa, called the elections "a coup d'etat aimed at prolonging the Bongo clan's grip on the country, with France's blessing."

France has long maintained good ties with Gabon, stemming from good ties with Omar Bongo, who ruled the western African country for 41 years until his death earlier this year.

This sphere of influence by French officials and companies in creating networks is known as the "Françafrique".

France has moved most of its nationals out of Port Gentil after the French consulate was razed on Thursday. French citizens living throughout the country have been asked to stay in their homes.