These Images Of Gabonese Protesters Confronting Riot Police Are Iconic
Gabonese people took to the streets on Wednesday to protest what they claim is a rigged election result that leaves President Ali Bongo in power.
Last Saturday, the West African country of Gabon held presidential elections to determine whether to keep President Ali Bongo in office for a second term.
The Bongo family has ruled the country for nearly half a century; Ali's father, Omar Bongo, took office back in 1967 and retained the presidency until his death in 2009.
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After a delay, the country's interior minister on Wednesday announced that Bongo had won by an extremely slim margin: 49.8% compared to the 48.2% his main rival, Jean Ping, received.
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Ping, a longtime diplomat and representative of Gabon at the UN and other forums, has rejected the results of the election and declared himself the winner of the vote before the results were announced.
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Ping's supporters were also quick to point out that even though the country had an overall turnout rate of 59.6%, turnout in Bongo's home region was suspiciously high: 99.3%.
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