Libreville: Fearing more violence after the late dictator Omar Bongo`s son won Presidential Elections, the capital of this former French colony seemed like a ghost town on Friday as most residents stayed home while sporadic gunfire rang out in Gabon`s second-largest city after a night of looting.
Some French troops are on alert and plans have been made to evacuate French nationals in case that step becomes necessary, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Friday in Paris. But he added that calm seemed to be returning to Port Gentil after a day of violence that saw the French consulate and oil interests attacked. He urged the 10,000 French nationals living in Gabon to stay home.
But Clotere Moussazou, a schoolteacher in the oil hub of Port Gentil, said on Friday that he could hear gunfire coming from the direction of the city centre.
Port Gentil is a bastion of opposition supporters who claimed a rigged election gave the presidency to Bongo`s son, Defence Minister Ali Bongo. Moussazou said looters pillaged the town`s stores overnight and set fire to a major fruit and vegetable market. On Thursday, rioters torched the French consulate and liberated prisoners from a local jail in the city, 100 miles (160 kilometres) south of Libreville, the capital.
In Libreville, shops were closed and streets deserted except for soldiers and police.
Sunday`s special ballot was called after Omar Bongo, who ruled this African nation for 41 years, died in June, but the disputed poll is fuelling fears the forested country of 1.5 million people will destabilise.
Bureau Report
