The military spokesman and leader of Patriotic Movement of the Defence and Security Forces of Gabon, Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang, stated on national radio and state television on early Monday morning that he and his supporters were disappointed by President Ali Bongo’s message to the nation on New Year's Eve, calling it a "relentless attempt to cling onto power"[3] and saying it "reinforced doubts about the president's ability to continue to carry out of the responsibilities of his office".

[7][8] Among other things, Obiang delivered the following message (in French) on national radio:[9] "The eagerly awaited day has arrived when the army has decided to put itself on the side of the people in order to save Gabon from chaos...

Gabon's Republican Guard deployed various armoured vehicles throughout the capital, including Nexter Aravis MRAPs, a type not previously known to have been in the Gabonese military's inventory.

[3] NetBlocks observed that internet connectivity was briefly (though partially) restored across Gabon by 10:00 am UTC before falling back offline, and only returning fully 11:00 am the next day.

[2] On 1 July 2021, mutineers Kelly Ondo Obiang, Estimé Bidima Manongo and Dimitri Nze Minko were sentenced to fifteen years in prison by the Special Military Court.