Military leaders who orchestrated the coup to oust President Ali Bongo Ondimba from office have officially appointed General Brice Oligui Nguema as the new head of government in Gabon. The military regime has stated that General Nguema will oversee the country’s affairs until a general election is conducted to choose new leaders.

The decision to appoint General Nguema was reached unanimously during a meeting of Army Generals who led the coup. General Nguema, formerly in charge of the presidential guard, has been selected to lead the Transitional Government of Gabon.

General Nguema expressed that the people of Gabon had grown weary of Ali Bongo’s rule and their opposition to his third-term bid had been ignored. He noted, “Everyone talks about this but no one takes responsibility. So the army decided to turn the page.”

In response to the coup, citizens in Gabon have celebrated the overthrow of Ali Bongo and endorsed the military regime.

Following the coup, the Gabonese army nullified the results of the August 26 election, which had declared Ali Bongo as the winner for a third term.

Ali Bongo is currently detained by the military regime in Gabon, and he has called for help from his detention location, reaching out to his friends.

Ali Bongo Ondimba served as the third president of Gabon from 2009 to 2023. He succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009. Ali Bongo had previously held positions as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy in the National Assembly, and Minister of Defense before becoming President. He was re-elected in 2016 for a second term and sought a third term in the August 26, 2023 election, which was disrupted by the Gabonese Army in a coup d’état on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.