Tight security after Gabon court upholds Bongo election victory

There was heavy security in Gabon’s capital Libreville on Saturday to deter potential unrest after a court ruling upholding the election victory of President Ali Bongo in August. The Constitutional Court reviewed the vote and cancelled some results following allegations of fraud, but said the overall result stood. After the decision the president made a plea for political dialogue to bring together his allies and opponents for the good of the country. Opposition leader Jean Ping spent Saturday in meetings with advisors, declining to comment. Challenging the election result, he had alleged the vote was rigged, saying he should have won. His supporters condemned the court’s decision. “We have given to the Gabonese people a masquerade election. It’s a huge and total disappointment. You can see for yourself that the whole city is calm, and it’s very dangerous,” said opposition supporter Clay Martial, one of Ping’s advisers. At least a dozen people died in violent protests earlier this month after the election result was announced. The EU questioned its integrity; its monitors found anomalies in one province. African Union observers were blocked from monitoring the court’s review. Gabon opposition facing arrests amid calm in major citieshttps://t.co/6pDTHzEdaS— africanews (@africanews) September 24, 2016