General Brice Oligui Nguema, who spearheaded the coup that deposed Gabon’s 55-year-old dynasty last week, took the oath of office as interim president on Monday, vowing “free… (and) transparent elections” after an indeterminate period.
Oligui, the commander of the elite Republican Guard, led officers in a coup against President Ali Bongo Ondimba, the scion of a ruling dynasty since 1967, on Wednesday.
The removal came only moments after Bongo, 64, was declared the winner of last month’s presidential election, which the opposition called a sham.
“I swear before God and the Gabonese people to faithfully preserve the republican regime,” said Oligui.
Dressed in the red ceremonial costume of the Republican Guard, Oligui also swore to “preserve the achievements of democracy”, at the ceremony held before judges of the Constitutional Court.
He immediately pledged in a speech to hold “free… (and) transparent elections” after a transition period which he did not specify, and to amnesty “prisoners of conscience.”
Elections Promised
On Wednesday, the coup leaders announced the dissolution of the nation’s institutions, the cancellation of election results, and the temporary closure of borders.
Other countries have refused to recognize Oligui as Gabon’s legitimate leader, and he is under pressure to outline his plans for restoring civilian authority.
Following the announcement of the coup, Oligui was gleefully raised up by his troops, and he has been seen flanked by generals and colonels in the days since.
He has also undertaken hours of high-profile conversations with corporate and religious leaders, unions, political parties, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), diplomats, and journalists, taking notes and replying in detail to queries and criticisms.
On Friday, he vowed to create more democratic institutions that respect human rights, but said he would proceed “without haste”.
A faction of the old opposition is pressing Oligui to hand over control, but many Gabonese appear to be celebrating the overthrow of the Bongo family, with celebrations in the streets of Libreville and Port-Gentil.
Several Western governments and organizations have criticized the coup while recognizing that it differs from others on the continent due to doubts about the legitimacy of the referendum itself.
“Naturally, military coups are not the solution, but we must not forget that in Gabon there had been elections full of irregularities,” said the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
‘Make Noise’
Former President Bongo was running for a third term after taking control in 2009 following the death of his father, Omar, who ruled Gabon with an iron grip for more than 40 years.
The coup leaders claimed to have placed him under home arrest and in “retirement.”
However, Bongo was able to circulate a video on social media in which he stated that his son and wife Sylvia had been detained, pleading with “all friends that we have all over the world… to make noise” on his behalf.
On Friday, national television broadcast rolling photos of the deposed president’s son Noureddin Bongo Valentin and other jailed officials standing in front of suitcases purportedly stuffed with cash taken from their houses.
Among other things, the military has accused them of treason, embezzlement, corruption, and forging the president’s signature.
In the last three years, five other African countries have had coups: Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Their new overlords have rejected calls for a quick return to the barracks.