By John Ikani
The head of the Republican Guards, Colonel Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has been chosen by his fellow officers to lead Gabon through the transitional period following a military takeover on Wednesday.
Heritage Times [HT] had earlier reported that the military assumed control on the morning of August 30, citing deteriorating social conditions that could potentially lead to future chaos.
They asserted that the presidential election on August 26 was conducted fraudulently.
The country’s electoral commission had announced incumbent Ali Bongo as the winner with 64.27% of the votes, while opposition candidate Ondo Ossa secured 30%.
Col. Nguema, who previously held the position of protecting the president within the Republican Guards, has taken a pivotal role in this shift. The coup signals the military’s discontent with the ongoing irregularities in Gabon.
In April 2020, Colonel Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema assumed command of the Republican Guard, an elite division tasked with safeguarding the head of state. He succeeded General Grégoire Kouna, a cousin of Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Just a month prior, on July 26, a faction of the Presidential Guards had orchestrated a coup against Niger Republic’s then-President Mohammed Bazoum in West Africa, confining him to house arrest.
Presently, Ali Bongo Ondimba finds himself in a similar situation, confined to house arrest at The Residence, the official residence of the Gabonese President. Meanwhile, his wife and son remain in undisclosed locations.
