Libreville (Hornpost) The former general, who led a coup that ended Bongo family’s 55-year rule, swept elections last month after heading a transition government.
Brice Oligui Nguema, who led a coup in Gabon ending decades of Bongo family rule and swept the election last month with nearly 95 percent of the vote, has been sworn in as the country’s president.
The general and former military government leader, who toppled Ali Bongo in August 2023, officially took the presidential reins on Saturday after leading a 19-month transition government.
The inauguration at Angondje Stadium in the north of capital Libreville drew some 40,000 supporters and was attended by more than 20 African heads of state, including The Gambia’s Adama Barrow, Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh, and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, the AFP news agency reported.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi also attended.
Oligui, 50, rose to power after deposing Ali Bongo, whose family had ruled Gabon for 55 years. The Bongo era was characterised by a tightly controlled patronage system that enriched elites while leaving most citizens excluded from Gabon’s oil-fuelled prosperity.
Oligui faces serious challenges in leading the oil-rich country, which needs to revamp crucial infrastructure and diversify its economy, but is heavily indebted.
Hornpost staff reporter
