By Caroline Ameh
Following the August 30th coup that took place in Gabon led by rebel officers; General Brice Oligui Nguema is set to be sworn in as the “transitional president” of Gabon on Monday at the constitutional court, according to coup leaders.
Oligui will “phase in transitional institutions”, Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, spokesman for the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) said on state TV on Thursday, a day after rebel officers overthrew President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
In the aftermath of the coup, all general secretaries, ministerial offices, director generals, and state officials have been directed to ensure the swift resumption of work and the uninterrupted operation of public services. The army chiefs have also assured that Gabon will uphold its commitments both domestically and internationally.
General Brice Oligui Nguema aims to guarantee the fulfillment of the country’s obligations to donors, development partners, and state creditors, maintaining the nation’s integrity on both the external and internal fronts.
General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was named Gabon’s new leader in the hours following a military takeover on Wednesday, served the central African country’s long-time former president Omar Bongo before turning on his son, ousted leader Ali Bongo.
General Nguema has been chief of the republican guard, the country’s most powerful army unit, since 2019, with close sources describing him as charismatic and respected. The first statement announcing the coup was read out in the courtyard of the presidential palace, a fortress protected by his military unit.
Said to be discreet and secretive, Nguema was absent from the first three statements read out by senior army officers on national television to announce the coup..
But Gabonese television kept broadcasting the same images: a man, apparently Nguema, in fatigues and a green beret being carried through the streets of the capital Libreville by jubilant soldiers chanting, “Oligui président.”
Nguema also emerged as a spokesperson in the hours following the announcement, answering questions from French newspaper “Le Monde”.
