General Brice Nguema, who led a coup that removed President Ali Bongo Ondimba, a cousin of the ousted president, was officially sworn in as Gabon’s interim president by the country’s constitutional court.
The recent military takeover, orchestrated by Nguema, has seemingly disrupted the political dominance of the Bongo family in Gabon, which has spanned several decades.
Ali Bongo assumed power after the lengthy rule of his father, Omar Bongo, who maintained a firm grip on the Central African nation for over four decades until his passing in 2009.
Ali Bongo, who had been in office for nearly 14 years, was declared the winner of a contentious presidential election marked by voting delays and internet disruptions. Additionally, the Bongo administration had hindered foreign press coverage of the election.
“Moving as quickly as possible doesn’t mean organising elections in a rush where we’ll end up with the same mistakes, where the same people will continue in power, and it all comes back to the same thing,” Nguema said.
However, many say Nguema’s regime is more a continuation of Bongo’s dynasty in Gabon, while the international community continue to condemn Mr Bongo’s ouster.
On Friday, Albert Ondo Ossa, the opposition candidate, charged the Gabon military to conclude the counting of the August 26 election and declare him president.
“The electoral process must be brought to a conclusion, and the results must be announced so that I can become the legitimate president and then the legal president once they have been validated by the Constitutional Court,” Ossa said.
