LIBREVILLE: General Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of a coup that overthrew Gabon’s 55-year-old dynasty, was officially sworn in as interim president on Monday, vowing to hold “free and transparent elections” after transitional period.
General Oligui, who heads the elite Republican Guard, orchestrated a coup last week against President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled the country since 1967. This dramatic move occurred shortly after Bongo, aged 64, was declared the winner of last month’s presidential election, a result vehemently contested by the opposition, which labeled it as fraudulent.
“I swear before God and the Gabonese people to faithfully preserve the republican regime,” declared Oligui, clad in the distinctive red ceremonial attire of the Republican Guard. He also pledged to “preserve the achievements of democracy” during a ceremony held in front of judges from the Constitutional Court.
In his inaugural speech, General Oligui announced his commitment to holding “free and transparent elections” but did not specify the duration of the transitional period. He also vowed to grant amnesty to “prisoners of conscience.”
The coup leaders had declared the dissolution of Gabon’s institutions, annulled the election results, and temporarily closed the nation’s borders. However, international recognition of Oligui as Gabon’s legitimate leader remains limited, and there is mounting pressure on him to outline his plans for the return to civilian rule.
Citizens of Gabon Satisfy with Coup
Since the coup, General Oligui has appeared prominently alongside fellow generals and colonels, engaging in extensive discussions with various stakeholders, including business leaders, religious figures, labor unions, political parties, non-governmental organizations, diplomats, and journalists. He has attentively taken notes and provided detailed responses to inquiries and concerns.
While some elements of the former opposition have urged Oligui to relinquish power, many Gabonese citizens have expressed satisfaction with the overthrow of the Bongo dynasty, celebrating in the streets of the capital, Libreville, and the economic hub of Port-Gentil.
Several Western nations and international organizations have condemned the coup while acknowledging its unique context, particularly concerns surrounding the credibility of the election. Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, emphasized that “Naturally, military coups are not the solution, but we must not forget that in Gabon there had been elections full of irregularities.”
Former President Ali Bongo had been seeking a third term in office, having assumed power in 2009 following the passing of his father, Omar, who ruled Gabon with an iron fist for over four decades.
The coup leaders announced that they had placed Bongo under house arrest and placed him “in retirement.” However, Bongo managed to disseminate a video on social media in which he claimed that his son and wife, Sylvia, were detained and called on “all friends that we have all over the world… to make noise” on his behalf.
National television subsequently aired footage of Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the deposed president’s son, and other arrested officials standing beside suitcases allegedly filled with confiscated cash. The military has accused them of various offenses, including treason, embezzlement, corruption, and falsification of the president’s signature.
In recent years, five other African countries—Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Niger—have witnessed coups, with their new leaders resisting calls for swift returns to barracks.
