Gabon- Residents of Libreville cheer in the streets after military officers sack Ali Bongo

Transcript

00:00 The streets of Libreville, Gabon's capital.

00:06 Many cheer as soldiers pass by, hours after military officers announced they were overturning

00:11 the government.

00:14 The apparent coup targets President Ali Bongo Odimba, who's been in power for 14 years

00:20 and whose re-election for a third term had just been announced.

00:24 A statement read out on TV quoted the military as saying Bongo was under house arrest, surrounded

00:30 by his family and doctors.

00:33 The statement reportedly added that one of the president's sons had been arrested for

00:37 treason.

00:40 The announcement of Ali Bongo Odimba's sacking by the military came in the middle of an overnight

00:45 curfew and amid a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by Bongo's government last week.

00:54 It was restored on Wednesday morning after the TV address.

00:58 Gabon has been ruled by the same family for more than 55 out of its 63 years since independence

01:04 from France in 1960.

01:06 (Cheering)