4th September, 2023
General Brice Oligui Nguema got a standing ovation Monday as he arrived for the swearing-in ceremony as Gabon’s transitional President.
After he took the oath administered by constitutional judges, State TV showed images of a cheering crowd of military officers and state officials. Tanks fired into the sea to mark the moment.
Nguema was the leader of the coup that ousted Gabon’s President Ali Bongo on Wednesday 30 August, moments after he was declared winner of a stolen election.
The coup, which ended the Bongo family’s 56-year hold on power in the oil-producing country, had drawn cheering crowds onto the streets of the capital Libreville.
However, it was condemned abroad.
Leaders of the Central African regional bloc ECCAS are due to meet in person on Monday to discuss their response to the ouster.
Last week they urged partners led by the United Nations and the African Union to support a rapid return to constitutional order.
The junta has not yet said how long it envisages holding power. On Friday, Nguema said it would proceed “quickly but surely,” but cautioned that too much haste could lead to elections that lack credibility.