Gabon: Coup leaders name General Brice Oligui Nguema as state’s transitional leader
General Brice Oligui Nguema has been designated as the transitional leader of the West African state by army officers who took control of Gabon on Wednesday.
Earlier, Gen. Nguema was triumphantly carried by his troops through the streets of Libreville, the nation’s capital.
In a video recorded at his residence, the ousted president, Ali Bongo, asks his “friends all over the world” to “make noise” on his behalf.
The former French colony is one of Africa’s major oil producers.
The removal of Mr. Bongo brought an end to the 55-year rule of his family.
On Wednesday morning, army officers announced their assumption of power on television.
They asserted to have invalidated the election results from the previous Saturday, which the opposition claimed were rigged and in which Mr. Bongo was declared the victor.
The officers added that one of Mr. Bongo’s sons had been detained for treason.
Within hours, the generals met to discuss who would oversee the transition and unanimously decided to name Gen. Nguema, the former commander of the presidential guard.
People cheered the army’s announcement in Libreville and other cities.
However, the African Union, the UN, and France—which had strong ties to the Bongo family—all denounced the coup.
The US State Department urged Gabon’s military to “preserve civilian rule” and urged “those responsible to release and ensure the safety of members of government”.
The “unconstitutional military takeover” of power was condemned by the UK.
The Bongo family, which ruled Gabon for 55 years, is the subject of long-standing resentment, and general issues like the cost of living have also caused public unrest.
A resident of Libreville, who asked for anonymity, told the media, “At first I was scared, but then I felt joy. I was scared because of the realization that I am living through a coup, but the joy is because we’ve been waiting for so long for this regime to be overthrown.”
Source-BBC
