Gabon's neighbours are expected to hold an extraordinary meeting after mutinous soldiers in the Central African nation said they had taken power and put the president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, under house arrest.
It is still unclear when and where the meeting of the Central African regional bloc (ECCAS) will be held, but it has called for a rapid return to constitutional order in Gabon, according to a statement.
The bloc has also condemned the use of force as a means to resolve political conflicts and gain access to power.
Gabonese soldiers have named General Brice Oligui Nguema as the country's new leader.
Unfair election
European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said the military coup in Gabon could not be compared to the crisis in Niger, arguing officers intervened after ousted president Ali Bongo won an unfair election.
"Naturally, military coups are not the solution, but we must not forget that in Gabon there had been elections full of irregularities," he said on Thursday, arguing a rigged vote could amount to a civilian "institutional coup".
Borrell was speaking just ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers at which they were to discuss how to help west Africa's ECOWAS regional group handle the July 26 military takeover in Niger.
The African Union has condemned this latest coup and major regional power Nigeria has expressed alarm over "contagious autocracy" following the similar events in Niger and Mali.
