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AROUND 1,200 protesters were arrested in Gabon on Thursday night in the second day of unrest over President Ali Bongo’s election victory.
Union of Forces for Change candidate Jean Ping, who was already claiming victory on Sunday a day after the polls closed, disputed Wednesday’s official result, pointing to very high turnout in Mr Bongo’s home province of Haut-Ogooue.
Mr Ping claimed army helicopters had bombed his party offices, killing two people, and he was now in hiding.
Protesters attacked the parliament building late on Wednesday, smashing windows, starting fires and burning cars in nearby streets.
“Democracy does not sit well with an attack on parliament,” Mr Bongo said, adding the opposition wanted to “use Gabon instead of serving it.”
Mr Ping is a former African Union Commission president and Mr Bongo’s ex-son-in-law. He split with the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party two years ago.
