Gabon police arrest 200 over post-election looting

By : AFP

Date: 1 September 2016 2:00pm WAT

Gabonese police forces patrol as they clear barricades in the streets adjacent to the National Assembly, in Libreville, on September 1, 2016. The results of the presidential election, announced earlier on August 31, 2016 handed Ali Bongo a second term and extended his family's nearly five-decade-long rule. The opposition described the election as fraudulent and called for results from each of Gabon's polling stations to be made public to ensure the credibility of the overall outcome -- a demand echoed by the United States and European Union. / AFP PHOTO / MARCO LONGARI

More than 200 people have been arrested for looting in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, where violence broke out following a disputed presidential election result, the police chief said Thursday.

“We have arrested more than 200 looters since last night,” national police chief Jean-Thierry Oye Zue told AFP. “Looting is currently continuing in the poorer districts.”

“Six police officers have been injured,” Oye Zue said, adding that several civilians had also “most likely” been hurt.

He did not confirm however there had been any deaths.

“I can’t tell you that,” he said.

AFP journalists saw two trucks packed with dozens of detainees, who raised their fists in the air and chanted the Central African country’s national anthem as they were driven off for questioning.

Violence erupted on Thursday after President Ali Bongo was declared the winner of the contested polls, with thousands of angry protesters taking to the streets of Libreville accusing the government of stealing the election from rival Jean Ping.

The opposition leader said security forces killed two people and injured 19 more at his headquarters.