The Secretary-General spoke today by phone to H.E. Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, and Mr. Jean Ping, presidential candidate of the Démocratie Nouvelle party.

The Secretary-General deplored the loss of life that occurred during the demonstrations in the aftermath of the presidential election. He expressed concern about the continuing inflammatory messages being disseminated and called for an immediate end to all acts of violence in the country.

The Secretary-General welcomed the release of the 27 opposition members that were detained in Mr. Ping’s campaign headquarters. However, he reiterated his call to President Bongo Ondimba to impress upon the Government the need to show restraint. He also urged Mr. Ping to issue a clear message to his followers calling on them to refrain from any acts of violence in the interest of the country and of national unity.

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of employing exclusively peaceful and legal means to seek redress in all dispute related to the outcome of the presidential election. He has requested his Special Representative for Central Africa, Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, to continue to work with the parties in order to defuse tensions.

In Hangzhou, where he is participating in the G20 Summit, the Secretary-General also met with H. E. Mr Idriss Déby Itno, President of Chad and current Chairperson of the African Union. The Secretary-General welcomed the engagement of the African Union in facilitating a peaceful resolution of the current crisis in Gabon.