General Oligai Will Be Inaugurated As Transition President On Monday, Still Brother Ali Bongo Overthrown?

President Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba. (Wikimedia Commons/Foreign and Commonwealth Office)

JAKARTA - General Brice Oligui Nguema, former head of Gabon's presidential security force (Paspampres) appointed by senior military officials who are members of the Transitional and Recovery Committee for Institution as transitional leaders, will be sworn in as transitional president next Monday before the Constitutional Court.

"The Transitional President will be sworn in before the Constitutional Court on Monday, September 4, 2023 at the Presidential Office," said Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, spokesman for the Institutional Transitional and Recovery Committee (CTRI), which brings together all army commanders, through state television, reported by Africanews and AFP Sept. 1.

"General Oligui has also decided to form transitional institutions in stages, whose duration is not mentioned and instructs all secretary generals, cabinet ministries, director generals and all those responsible for State services to ensure the effective resumption of jobs and operational continuation of all public services," the spokesperson continued.

"The President of Transition wants to convince all donors, development partners and state creditors, that all steps will be taken to ensure respect for our country's commitments both externally and internally," said Colonel Manfoumbi Manfoumbi.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Gabon, who is a member of the Alternance Alliance 2023 Albert Ondo Ossa, on Thursday claimed the Bongo clan remained in control and there was no coup, but rather "a palace revolution".

"Oligui Nguema is Ali Bongo's cousin," he told French TV5 Monde, citing the Korea Times, referring to Gabon's ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba.

"The Bongo family realizes that Ali Bongo must be put aside in order to run the Bongo system well," he continued.

"Oligui Nguema is his subordinate. Behind him is the Bongo clan that holds power," he said, urging international aid to restore order.

Ali Bongo, whose father, Omar Bongo, has been in power for more than four decades, was ousted moments after being declared the winner in a disputed weekend election.

Bongo's fate is still unclear, but CTRI, which includes leaders of the entire army corps, said he had been placed under house arrest and "placed in retirement".

Bongo was first elected in 2009 following his father's death. In 2016, he was re-elected for a second term, before securing a third term last week.