Gabon Coup Holds up Vessel Movement

Padmesh Prabhune

Pic: For Representation Purpose Only

At least 30 commercial vessels have dropped their anchors this week close to Gabon’s waters after the military officers mentioned that they had seized power in the Central African nation.

On Wednesday 30th August, just hours after Gabon’s election commission announced that President Ali Bongo Ondimba had been elected to a third term, a group of Gabonese military officers from the elite presidential guard unit seized power and placed the president under arrest at his palace.

According to reports from Reuters, Military officers in oil-producing Gabon mentioned that they had kept President Ali Bongo under strict house arrest after the nation’s election body declared that he won a third term. Borders were shut down, and state institutions were also dissolved.

A British maritime security firm named Ambrey mentioned that port operations in Libreville had halted and no vessels had reached or set sail from the port since the declaration of the coup.

“Ambrey is aware that movements in and out of Gabon have been closed down following an early morning announcement by military officials,” it added in an advisory.

German container shipping group Hapag Lloyd (HLAG.DE) has one of its vessels currently in Libreville and the ship is unable to sail due to the border closures, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Ambrey added that despite disruption in Gabonese ports, offshore terminals remained operational, while shipping companies maintained that their main priority was to ensure the safety of employees and its operations in Gabon.

-Marex Media