U.S. deplores escalation of violence in Gabon -State Dept

he United States on Thursday (September 1) deplored violence in Gabon sparked by a disputed election and urged all sides to cooperate to prevent further unrest.

“We deplore the escalation of violence following the release of those results. It’s a provisional election result But by the government,” said U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby.

“We urge all parties to come together peacefully in this critical time to halt a slide towards further unrest and call upon the security forces to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all Gabonese citizens and of all residents of Gabon. The International community is watching these events closely and will consider appropriate actions.”

Violent protests sparked by the disputed election, with at least three dead and hundreds arrested after the challenger rejected results that gave President Ali Bongo a narrow victory, continued in Gabon’s capital Libreville for the second day.