Up to 100 killed in Gabon's post-poll violence

By Jean-Yves Ntoutoume

LIBREVILLE, Gabon

Gabon opposition leader Jean Ping said Tuesday that between 50 and 100 people had been killed post-electoral violence since last week.

“There've been between 50 and 100 deaths,” he told French news channel France24. “The people in power are killing every day.

“The UN, France, the European Union and the African Union asked me to call for calm. I did this. And immediately the difficulties we've seen stopped. I myself was surprised because I don't control the population. It stopped.”

Ping, who declared himself winner following the Aug. 27 presidential poll, said a commission had been established to tour hospitals, morgues and prisons to identify “all our missing”.

The former African Union Commission head has said that President Ali Bongo “falsified” the election results to claim victory. Ping has also called for a general strike.

The result led to violence across the oil-producing west African state that left several people dead and saw thousands arrested.

The Gabonese authorities have not made any official statement since last Thursday while the international community has condemned the violence. On Tuesday, the African Union said it was ready to send a high-level delegation to Libreville to mediate.

On Monday, Seraphin Moundounga resigned as justice minister and from the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party.

Gabon last experienced post-electoral violence in 2009 after Bongo succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled the country for 42 years.

Otherwise, the country is one of the more stable in the region. Relations with former colonial power France have cooled since Ali Bongo succeeded his father, with authorities in France launching a corruption investigation into the family.