AU to mediate in post-election rift in Gabon

To help resolve a post-election rift between President Ali Bongo and his main opposition rival, Jean Ping, the African Union (AU) is set to send a high-level delegation to Gabon.

Bongo claimed a slim victory in last Wednesday’s elections according to official reports, but challenger Jean Ping claimed he had won and accused security forces of using violence against his supporters.

Anger at the incumbent’s re-election boiled over into riots in the capital, Libreville, and other towns. Six people have been confirmed dead however, the opposition says the death toll is much higher.

“It is an urgent matter and I expect the high-level delegation to be dispatched very soon,” AU spokesman Jacob Enoh Eben said on Tuesday.

Chadian President Idriss Deby, one of Africa’s longest-ruling presidents and chairman of the pan-African body, is likely to lead the talks, he said.

“We accept all mediation efforts,” Ping said of the arrival of the AU delegation, while calling for calm. “We want democracy and peace to triumph.”

Authorities appeared to have restored order in Libreville on Tuesday, and shopkeepers and government workers returned to their jobs.

Ping had earlier urged a nationwide strike following the announced election results after the nation’s Justice minister had resigned over the government’s failure to re-count the votes.

UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Tuesday that the agency was following the situation with “increased concern”.

Gabon’s opposition has consistently called for change amidst continued efforts to remove the incumbent whose family has held on to power for decades.

Amongst other concerns from the masses is the fact that the oil wealth of the nation, which is statistically one of the richest African countries, has been unevenly distributed over the years.