Dictatorship continues: Violence erupts in Gabon as incumbent wins again...

In 2009, Mr Bongo took over from his father, who came to power in 1967.

Extending the rule of one of Africa’s longest political dynasties to more than 50 years.

Thousands of protesters in Gabon have set the country's National Assembly building alight today, Wednesday night, after a day of protests against what they see as a rigged election.

The small central African country has been governed by one family - the Bongos.

President Bongo secured a second seven-year term with 49.8% of the vote to Mr Ping's 48.2 %, a margin of 5,594 votes.

Mr Ping disputes the result. His camp has said figures from the president's stronghold showed a 99% turnout.

The clashes is between opposition supporters and security forces broke out in the capital of Gabon. on Wednesday after Ali Bongo, the incumbent president, was controversially declared the winner of Saturday’s election.

Three people were apparently shot dead by security forces and many more wounded after crowds tried to storm the offices of the electoral commission in Libreville shortly after authorities announced Bongo’s re-election by a narrow majority.

There were reports that protesters had set fire to part of Gabon’s parliament building. A witness told Reuters that demonstrators entering from the back of the National Assembly started the blaze and firefighters were trying to extinguish it.

Bongo’s father, Omar Bongo, ruled the country for more than 40 years, squandering much of its vast oil wealth and hiding it overseas rather than using it to lift its people out of poverty. Bongo Junior, as Ali is known, has tried to distance himself from the sins of his father, but the apparent manipulation of the vote in at least one province has attracted much criticism.

Many Gabonese ventured out early on Wednesday to stock up on groceries, anticipating the violent clashes between protesters and the armed forces, which were deployed to the streets of Libreville on Tuesday.

The army fired stun grenades and teargas at a crowd of people outside the headquarters of the electoral commission shouting “Ali must go!” According to Ping, they also fired live bullets, which he said killed three and wounded many. Bongo’s aides denied this and accused the opposition of fabricating rumours.

The first battle was not fought on Libreville’s potholed streets, however, but in an obscure corner of Wikipedia. Overnight, there were more than 100 modifications to the online encyclopedia’s page on Haut Ogooué, a Gabonese province.