For Americans, any mention of a presidential election immediately brings to mind the upcoming ballot that includes front-runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Fortunately, while such a topic is often met with controversy, unease, and debate, it has not erupted into the full-scale riots that are currently affecting the country of Gabon in its capital city of Libreville.

The central-African country had its presidential election nearly three weeks ago on Saturday, Aug. 27, which many citizens had hoped would mean a change in leadership. The incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba took office in 2009 after the death of his father, President Omar Bongo. In total, the Bongo family has been governing Gabon for the last 39 years. "We do not want the Bongos [in power] anymore," explains Fabiano Motta, a Gabonese college student currently studying in France.

Both men have reputations as thieves, liars, and even killers within the presidential office. Former President Omar Bongo was accused of stealing billions of the nation's economy to fund his expensive lifestyle, which Motta suggests is the reason 35 percent of Gabon's population lives below the poverty line despite the country being rich in oil and other natural resources.

When Ali Bongo succeeded his father in 2009, many of Gabon's citizens were worried this line of corruption would continue. "We tried to say no," Motta says, "and it nearly killed us." Resistors to the continuation of the Bongo rule were met with swift violence, resulting in arrests, injuries, and deaths. "We are not a war people, so we got scared."

History is apparently repeating itself with the results of Saturday's election, which showed that President Ali had defeated the opposing candidate, Jean Ping, by only 6,000 votes. Ping and his supporters claim the results are fraudulent and have brought the matter to the constitutional court, demanding a recount of the votes from President Bongo's home province of Haute Ogooue and that the original election results be nullified. The scary thing is, Ping is likely correct that the results are false. As Motta explains it, the polls before Haute Ogooue's votes were counted showed that Bongo was nearly 60,000 votes behind Ping. Bongo would have needed 99.3 percent of the province's voting population to turn out for the election and have received 95.6 percent of that vote to have won the election. And that's exactly what happened. "It's impossible," says Motta. "Even in North Korea, it's impossible."

Ping's supporters took to the streets of Libreville on Wednesday, Aug. 31 to celebrate the defeated candidate's decision to petition a recount. The protesters had no weapons, and while there are reports of businesses being looted and several government buildings including the Parliment were set on fire, it began as nothing more than a non-violent protest. "We are asking for freedom," Motta explains. However, this was cut short when tensions between protesters and police escalated and the police force opened fire on the Gabonese people. Now, they are asking for their lives.

The number of arrests, injuries, and deaths are largely disputed in the media because of the restrictions Bongo has put on the nation's network in order to keep the information from becoming international knowledge. Even Gabonese citizens are often unaware of what's been happening from day-to-day. While many news reports say there have only been as few as three or four deaths since unrest broke out, Motta suspects the body count is actually over 400, a majority of which are being hidden by police to keep the real numbers from getting out. "This guy [Bongo] is killing people, he's threatening people. Brothers, sisters, dads, moms are dying, and this guy comes in France and says, 'everything's good, everything's fine.'"

The judges of Gabon's constitutional court are expected to deliberate on Ping's petition for a recount within the next two weeks, and we can only hope that the right decision will be made. "They have to choose between stability and instability," explained Ping at opposition headquarters in Libreville. "It's a heavy responsibility but I hope they make a judgment that is beyond passion."  

"I don't even know what to think," Motta finishes, obviously emotional over the state of his home country. "President Bongo... he's not even crazy--he's more than that."

Our hearts go out to the people of Gabon during these trying times. We pray for their protection and we ask that they receive the freedom the so rightfully deserve.

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave entangled me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the Lord and said: "O Lord, save me!" The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
 Psalm 116:1-6