Gabon coup latest news – where is the African nation and why is the army attempting to seize power?
The military chief and his two commandos who took over a radio station in the country's capital have been killed
A MILITARY coup in Gabon appears to have failed in the oil rich nation after gunshots were heard in the country's capital, Libreville.
Three insurgents who took over a radio station have been reported killed, according to a government spokesman who assured media that order had quickly been restored.
Where is Gabon in Africa?
Gabon is located on the west coast of Africa and borders the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
The country's population is just over two million and is home to many national parks, such as the famed Loango National Park.
Its capital city is Libreville, home to some 700,000 people, and is where the military have mobilised to overthrow the current government.
The country has been independent of its former colonial masters France since 1960.
Who is the President of Gabon?
The current president's father, Omar Bongo, ruled Gabon for 42 years before his death in 2009 when Ali Bongo first took power.
Gabon has an extremely unequal society, with its ruler Ali Bongo possessing huge wealth stemming from the nation's oil reserves.
He married Sylvia Najma Valentin, in 1989, and the couple have four adopted children.
Why is the army attempting a coup?
A New Year's Eve address by President Bongo "reinforced doubts" about his ability to continue to run the country, said army Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang in a live video.
He revealed soldiers in the west African country launched the takeover early on January 7, 2019, "to restore democracy".
Gunfire was heard near the state television offices in the centre of Libreville at about 6.30am (5.30am GMT), and military vehicles blocked access to the site.
Lt Obiang described himself as an officer in the Republican Guard and leader of the self-declared Patriotic Movement of the Defence and Security Forces of Gabon.
In the video circulating on social media, he is seen in a radio studio wearing military fatigues and a green beret as he reads his statement flanked by two armed soldiers.
However, reports soon emerged from a government spokesman that the three insurgents had been killed and that order had been restored.
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
Bongo won re-election in 2016 by fewer than 6,000 votes, sparking deadly clashes between protesters and police during which the parliament was torched.
However, he has been in Morocco for two months after reportedly suffering a stroke in October.
The leader sought to put an end to the rumours about his health with a televised New Year message in which he said he was feeling fine.
Soldiers promptly called it "a pitiful sight" and a "relentless attempt to cling on to power."