Military officers in Gabon appeared on national television on Wednesday to declare they were seizing power, prompting celebrations and reports of gunfire on the streets of the capital.

The announcement came just minutes after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, also known as Ali Bongo, was deemed the victor of a contested election, extending his family’s half-century rule over the Central African nation.

The officers, claiming to represent “defense and security forces” in the country, made the announcement in a televised address on news channel Gabon24. “On behalf of the Gabonese people and guarantor of the protection of institutions, CTRI [the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions] has decided to defend peace by putting an end to the regime in place,” a military officer said on the broadcast.