Today in History for Sept. 4: In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier landed at Ile au Coudres and attended the celebration of the first Roman Catholic mass in Canada. In 1768, French novelist Francois Rene Chateaubriand was born in St. Malo.
The military's assertion of control commenced on Wednesday, shortly after the election commission of Gabon declared Bongo as the re-elected president in the aftermath of the recent weekend's election. Individuals dressed in military attire took to national television to announce their seizure of authority.
The military juntas said they represented the armed forces, and declared on television that the election results were cancelled, borders closed and state institutions dissolved, after a tense vote that was set to extend the Bongo family's more than half century in power.