Gabon's government accused presidential challenger Jean Ping on Tuesday of trying to destabilise the country, and warned French ruling party officials against "interference" in its affairs. As tensions rose, people stockpiled food, police manned major crossroads and soldiers were deployed at petrol stations and banks. Bongo's allies are also furious about a statement from France's ruling Socialist Party on Sunday declaring that early results showed Ping to be the winner. "The socialist party by this interference, coming from the same members of La Francafrique, shows once again their inability to understand how African democracies function," Nze said. "The French socialist party is advised to respect our sovereignty."

Source: The Star August 30, 2016 17:15 UTC