Gabon: Obame declares himself president, seeks UN refuge

Gabon opposition leader Andre Mba Obame has declared himself the country's leader and sought refuge at the United Nations compound in the capital. The move appears to be inspired by a disputed presidential election in Ivory Coast and protests in Tunisia and across the region.

Obame, who heads the National Union party, has long claimed he won the 2009 election against President Ali Bongo. He declared himself the winner again at a swearing-in ceremony Tuesday.

"Obame entered the UN compound on Tuesday night, and called on the Gabonese people to overthrow the current government. He said Mr Ali would 'will go like Ben Ali,' a reference to Tunisia's ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali," reports BBC News.

In response, the government accused Obame of high treason and dissolved the opposition party. Obame "made the choice to not respect Gabon's constitution," said Interior Minister Jean-Francois Ndongou.

Bongo came to power after the death of his father, President Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon for 41 years.

The United Nations currently protects Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognized president of Ivory Coast who has not been allowed to take power after a disputed election.

The successful ousting of Tunisia's president has led to protests around the region. Most recently, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Cairo and other cities across Egypt to demand an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Read more about the protests in Egypt.

And watch this GlobalPost video on the protests in Tunisia that sparked regional unrest.

Follow GlobalPost on Twitter: @GlobalPost