In Gabon, the military seized power and declared the annulment of the August 26 general elections and the closure of borders "until further notice".

The announcement came just minutes after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, also known as Ali Bongo, was declared the winner of a disputed election.

In a statement quoted by the international press, the self-styled Defence and Security Forces said that "the organization of the so-called general elections of 26 August 2023 did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot, which the Gabonese people had been waiting for".

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba has been in power for 14 years and was re-elected with around 64% of the vote for a third term, according to the country's electoral authority.

The wave of seizures of power through coups has been intensifying in recent months in Africa.

Most recently, Niger's military junta took control of the country in a coup d'état at the end of July, prompting the African Union to suspend the nation's membership of the group of 55 member states.