Gabon Army Names General Brice Oligui Nguema as Transitional Leader After Coup
Libreville, Gabon – Army officers who successfully seized power in a coup in Gabon on Wednesday have named General Brice Oligui Nguema as the West African state’s transitional leader. Gen Nguema was triumphantly paraded through the streets of the capital, Libreville, by his troops. The coup led to the end of the 55-year rule of President Ali Bongo and his family.
The deposed President, Ali Bongo, appeared in a video from his home, calling on his “friends all over the world” to support him. Gabon, a former French colony and a major oil producer in Africa, has garnered international attention due to the coup and the political instability it has caused.
The army officers, who declared their takeover on national television, also announced the annulment of Saturday’s election results in which President Bongo was declared the winner. The opposition had claimed that the election was fraudulent. In addition, one of Mr Bongo’s sons was arrested for treason.
Within hours of the coup, army generals convened to discuss the transitional leadership. By unanimous vote, they appointed Gen Nguema, the former head of the presidential guard, to lead the transition. The appointment was met with celebration by crowds in Libreville and other cities. However, the coup has drawn condemnation from the United Nations, the African Union, and France, which had close ties to the Bongo family.
The United States State Department urged Gabon’s military to “preserve civilian rule” and called for the release and safety of members of the government. The United Kingdom also condemned the “unconstitutional military takeover” of power.
The coup in Gabon is a result of long-standing resentment towards the Bongo family, which has ruled the country for 55 years. The population has also expressed discontent about issues such as the high cost of living. The coup has been met with mixed emotions from the Gabonese people. While some are scared by the realization of living through a coup, others are joyful at the prospect of the long-standing regime being overthrown.
General Brice Oligui Nguema, 48, was absent from the initial statements made by senior army officers but was later named as the transitional leader. Described as extremely close to Omar Bongo, Ali Bongo’s father and the previous leader of Gabon, Gen Nguema had served as his aide-de-camp. He has held various military positions, most recently as the intelligence chief under the elite republican guard before being promoted to general.
The recent election in Gabon was marred by concerns of fraud. Opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa raised complaints of missing ballot papers bearing his name, while the coalition he represented pointed out the presence of withdrawn candidates’ names on the ballot sheet. Previous elections in Gabon have also been disputed for alleged fraud. President Bongo’s health has further contributed to calls for his resignation, as he suffered a stroke in 2018 that left him incapacitated for almost a year.
The coup attempt in 2019, which ended in the imprisonment of mutinying soldiers, further destabilized the country. The recent coup has heightened political tensions and raised questions about the future of Gabon under the transitional leadership of General Brice Oligui Nguema.