Rosalind Evans
In a ceremony broadcast live on Monday, Gen. Brice Nguema, the commander of Gabon’s military junta, took the oath as the nation’s provisional president, administered by Gabon’s constitutional court.
Gen. Nguema played a pivotal role in the coup just a week prior, unseating President Ali Bongo Ondimba. This sudden military action seemingly ended the Bongo family’s influential tenure in Gabonese political history.
Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64 at the time, had stepped into his father’s shoes, Omar Bongo, who governed the Central African country relentlessly for over 40 years until his passing in 2009.
Before the dramatic events of the coup, Ali Bongo, with almost 14 years of leadership under his belt, had been proclaimed the victor in a controversial presidential election, tainted by voting holdups and internet blackouts. Notably, the Bongo regime limited foreign media from reporting on the election.
Following the coup, the deposed president found himself under house arrest. The junta went further, nullifying the election results and sealing off Gabon’s international borders, drawing widespread international criticism.
However, within Gabon, joyous demonstrations unfolded as multitudes rallied in support of the military move.
Gen. Nguema, who once served as a personal guard to Omar Bongo, rapidly ascended as the transitional figurehead.
The inauguration as the acting president was marked by a military procession and enthusiastic applause from civilian followers.
Before his official inauguration, Gen. Nguema greenlit the re-opening of the country’s borders and engaged in talks with political representatives regarding reforms and potential transition plans, as covered by domestic news outlets.
The duration of Gen. Nguema’s term remains uncertain. He has previously mentioned that Gabon will not hasten towards another election to prevent revisiting “previous missteps,” as per a Reuters report.
A coalition of opposing parties has called upon the junta to renew the electoral procedures and finalize the ballot count, opening a pathway for the opposition leader, Albert Ondo Ossa, the second-place candidate in the negated poll.
It’s noteworthy that in the last three years, Gabon joins a list of former French colonies, including Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Tunisia, that have experienced coups.
For many in Gabon, the toppling of Bongo is seen as a significant stride for the residents of this oil-rich yet economically struggling nation.
The political landscape of Gabon, much like several other former French colonies, remains in flux. While many in Gabon celebrate the end of the Bongo dynasty, the international community watches closely. The events in Gabon serve as a stark reminder of the fragile balance of power and the yearning for change in regions steeped in prolonged leadership. Only time will reveal if this shift will usher in a new era of democracy and prosperity or lead the nation down another tumultuous path.
