PRETORIA, August 30. /TASS/. Several hundred Gabonese military servicemen have given their backing to Republican Guard head General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema as the country’s next president, France’s Le Figaro newspaper reported, citing a Gabonese TV report.

According to the paper, troops gave him an ovation, shouting "Oligui for president!" The report was broadcast after the military announced that incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba had been put under house arrest.

The Republican Guard, which has more than 2,500 members, is responsible for the protection of the head of state and other top officials. Some of the guard members took part in a failed coup attempt in 2019.

This time, a group of senior military officers announced that the results of the presidential vote that Ondimba had won would be canceled. Apart from Republican Guard members, there also are security, army and police officers among the rebels.