General Brice Oligui Nguema, who overthrew Ali Bongo Ondimba five days ago in Gabon, was sworn in on Monday, September 4, as president of a ” transition “ whose duration he did not fix, but with the repeated promise of “returning power to civilians” by “credible elections”.
Soldiers had proclaimed on August 30 the “end of regime” of Ali Bongo, who had ruled Gabon for fourteen years, less than an hour after the proclamation of his re-election during the contested ballot of August 26. The next day, the heads of the army and police corps, meeting in a Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) headed by General Oligui, had accused the entourage of the Head of State – including his wife and one of his sons – of “massive diversions” public money and a “irresponsible governance”. For more than fifty-five years, the Bongo family ruled without sharing this small Central African state, among the richest on the continent thanks to its oil, but under the yoke of an elite accused by its opponents of “massive corruption” and of “poor governance”.
“I swear before God and the Gabonese people to faithfully preserve the republican regime” And “to preserve the achievements of democracy”declared to the presidency, before judges of the Constitutional Court, the brigadier general in red ceremonial costume of the Republican Guard (GR), the elite unit of the army which he commanded.
“Patriotic Act”
In front of hundreds of guests, including deposed ministers of Ali Bongo, caciques of his party but also tenors of the opposition, the general urged them to participate in the elaboration of a future Constitution which will be “adopted by referendum” and new electoral and penal codes “more democratic and respectful of human rights”. He also ” engaged “ has “give power back to civilians by organizing free, transparent and credible elections”. He finally announced the appointment ” in a few days “ of a transitional government made up of people “experienced” And “hardened”, to whom he asks for the release of the “prisoners of conscience” and the return of “political exiles”.
Ali Bongo, 64, under house arrest since the putsch, was elected in 2009 on the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power for more than forty-one years. The “patriarch” was also one of the pillars of “Françafrique”, a system of political cooptation, commercial preserve and corruption between France and some of its former colonies on the continent.
Since its coup, the army, thanked by the majority of Gabonese for having “freed from the Bongo clan”refuses to speak of a coup d’etat, preferring to evoke a “patriotic act” having avoided a ” bloodbath “. No deaths or injuries were reported. General Oligui said on Monday his “great astonishment when we hear certain international institutions condemn the act of soldiers who have only respected their oath under the flag: to save the fatherland at the risk of their lives”. According to him, the army had “a double choice: either kill Gabonese who have legitimately demonstrated, or put an end to a manifestly biased electoral process […] We said no, never again in our beautiful country, Gabon..
The African Union, the European Union, the UN and many Western capitals condemned the coup d’etat but also insisted on a ” difference “ with putschs on the continent (eight in three years), because preceded by“an institutional coup”according to the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
Wads of banknotes
The new strongman of Libreville, who met all the components of society for five days, pledged to fight against corruption and bad governance, to restore the economy and redistribute wealth to the poorest.
Since the coup, public television has broadcast images of one of the sons of the deposed president, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, of the former first lady, Sylvia Bongo – “detained” arbitrarily and in secret in Gabon, according to his lawyers -, and former officials of the presidency or the cabinet of Mme Bongo, shown in front of wads of banknotes. This “young guard” is detained for ” high treason “, “massive embezzlement of public funds” And “forgery of signature” of the Head of State, according to the putschists, who accuse members of Mr. Bongo’s family of having “manipulated” taking advantage of the aftermath of a stroke that occurred in 2018.
At the exit of the presidential palace, caciques of the power of Ali Bongo were booed or greeted by a bronca. “We are studying but we cannot find work, I have been unemployed for five years, we are told that the funds are empty and we end up finding all this money at home”gets carried away Anouchka Minang, a 31-year-old midwife. “We feel freedom, joy and above all hope for a better future”exclaims Lucrèce Mengué, 28, among the thousands of people massed in front of the palace.