Gabon police tear gas protesters as tensions rise

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Gabon security forces fired tear gas at hundreds of anti-government protesters in the capital Thursday, witnesses said, two days after an opposition leader declared himself president.

The usually sleepy central African oil exporter has been troubled since a 2009 election won by Ali Bongo Odimba, but which the main opposition group -- inspired by power struggles in Tunisia and Ivory Coast -- is insisting was rigged.

Hundreds of supporters of opposition leader Andre Mba Obame, who declared himself president Tuesday and formed a rival government, have gathered outside the local United Nations offices to demand recognition of Mba Obame as president.

Security forces clashed with the group early Thursday, firing tear gas into the crowd and injuring dozens, but failed to disperse them, according to several of the protesters interviewed by Reuters.



Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE70Q43V20110127

---

Wikipedia GABON


Gabon ( /ɡəˈbɒn/; French pronunciation: <ɡabɔ̃>) is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west. It covers a land area of nearly 270,000 km² and has an estimated population of 1,500,000. Its capital and largest city is Libreville.

Since its independence from France on August 17, 1960, Gabon has been ruled by three presidents. In the early 1990s, Gabon introduced a multi-party system and a new democratic constitution that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and reformed many governmental institutions. Gabon is also a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2010-2011 term. The small population density together with abundant natural resources and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in the region, with the highest HDI in Sub-Saharan Africa.<4>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabon