Gabon rebel chief caught, two killed in failed coup

LIBREVILLE: Gabon said it foiled an attempted coup on Monday after a group of soldiers called for a popular uprising while the country’s ailing president was abroad.

The soldiers burst into state radio offices at dawn and urged the public to “rise up,” in a broadcast made as President Ali Bongo remained in Morocco after suffering a stroke last year. Three soldiers wearing the green beret of the elite Republican Guard, two of them carrying assault rifles, were visible on a video of the speech released on social media.

But security forces stormed the building, capturing the rebel chief, killing two of his team and freeing journalists and technicians who had been held hostage and forced to help the mutineers make their broadcast, the presidency said.

“The situation is under control,” it said in a statement.Shots were heard earlier around the RTG state broadcasting headquarters in Libreville, capital of the oil-rich West African nation, at about the same time as the message was read at 6:30 am (0530 GMT).

Security forces were deployed in the capital and will remain there over the coming days in order to maintain order, a government spokesman said.The Republican Guard was stationed around the radio building, armoured vehicles blocked access to the area and a helicopter circled overhead, an AFP correspondent saw.

In a rundown district nearby, dozens of young people torched a car and set fire to tyres, while the security forces fired teargas to try to disperse them.