Gabon swears in ex-military chief Oligui as president | Elections News

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.

Libreville’s streets were gridlocked as thousands converged on the venue, with artistic performances and a military parade planned along the Libreville waterfront in the evening, state media reported.

“All citizens of Greater Libreville are asked to extend a warm welcome to these distinguished guests,” the Ministry of Interior and Security said in a statement.

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.

A former head of the elite Republican Guard, Oligui has promised a departure from the dynastic politics of the past.

In his first international news interview since the election, Oligui told Al Jazeera he was determined to “restore dignity to the Gabonese people”.

“I will give back to the people what they have given me today. And everything that has been stolen from the people, I want to return to them,” he said.

Despite vast reserves of oil, gold, and manganese, and its role as a key part of the Congo Basin rainforest, the country struggles with widespread poverty.

According to the World Bank’s 2024 data (PDF), about 40 percent of young people are unemployed and roughly a third of the overall population lives below the poverty line.

During the transitional period, Oligui sought to portray himself as a reformer and “builder,” launching high-profile construction projects while pledging to tackle endemic corruption. His campaign slogan, “We Build Together”, was prominently displayed during rallies in the run-up to the election.

However, Oligui’s own record has drawn scrutiny. A 2020 investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealed that he allegedly owned properties in the United States worth more than $1m and had previously helped expand the Bongos’ overseas business ventures.

When questioned about these ties, Oligui said they were a “private affair”.

But early signs from the World Bank’s latest report indicate that Gabon’s economy grew by 2.9 percent in 2024, driven by increased output of oil, timber and manganese, as well as public infrastructure spending.

As Oligui begins his official term, investors and international observers are watching closely to see whether Gabon and its population of 2.2 million people can turn the page on decades of dynastic rule.