Coup Leaders Designate Gabon General as ‘Transitional President’ in Political Upheaval

The leaders of the coup in Gabon have named Republican Guard Chief General Brice Oligui Nguema transitional president after the military seized control in the wake of elections.

The statement reads “General Oligui Nguema Brice was unanimously appointed chairman of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, chairman of the transition.” 

How the Gabon coup all started

President Ali Bongo Odimba was placed under house arrest a few moments after he was declared the winner of the Gabon 2023 general elections.

Following his arrest, a group of officers declared that “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved, the election results cancelled and the borders closed.

In a statement, the group of officers noted that “Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis.” 

They noted that the elections “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon.”

The coup leaders also wrote, “We — the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) on behalf of the people of Gabon and as guarantors of the institutions’ protection — have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime.”

Disputed election: What to know

President Ali Bongo won a third term in the presidential election with 64.27% of the vote. His win comes after a delay-plagued general election that the opposition denounced as fraudulent.

Gabon’s main opposition, led by university professor Albert Ondo Ossa, had accused Bongo of “fraud”, and demanded that he hand over power “without bloodshed”.

The coup announcement came just moments after the national election authority declared Bongo had won a third term in Saturday’s election with 64.27 per cent of the vote.

Bongo was first elected in 2009 following the death of his father Omar, who had ruled the country for 41 years, reputedly amassing a fortune.