General Price Olegé Nguuma was sworn in as Gabon’s interim president during a ceremony at the Republican Palace in Libreville on Monday, a week after a military coup that ousted President Ali Bongo.
Angema supporters gathered in the square of the Hassan II Mosque opposite the Palace of the Republic to show their support for the new president, while cannons fired shells to celebrate.
In his speech at the inauguration, on August 31, he said the Gabonese military had taken responsibility for rejecting the “electoral coup”, referring to the elections that preceded the military coup, the results of which had won Bongo a third presidency. Period.
He continued, “We had two options: either kill the demonstrators or put an end to the dubious electoral process,” accusing Bongo’s regime of violating democracy and its rules for years.
The general – who was the commander of the Republican Guard – deplored criticism from some voices in the international community for the military’s actions.
Talking about the transitional phase, he said he was looking forward to the people’s acceptance of the new constitution for the country through a referendum. “
“The good times dreamed of by our forefathers will come true,” he added, asking the next government to set up mechanisms to facilitate the return of all political migrants.
Messages for various powers
Al Jazeera correspondent Younes Ayd Yassin from Libreville said General Engema explained his vision for the future ahead of the ceremony with political parties, civil society representatives, religious leaders and the media.
During those meetings, Angema said the decision to dissolve the institutions was a temporary matter and aimed at restructuring them to become more democratic and in line with international standards.
He promised a new constitution and a new electoral law that would meet the aspirations of the Gabonese people, but without rushing, as he said, after that, credible elections would take place directly.
Engema criticized what he described as “Western hypocrisy” in rushing to condemn the military’s moves in return for silence over violations that marred the elections.
ICAS meeting
On the other hand, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECAS) will hold an extraordinary meeting today Monday in Equatorial Guinea to discuss the situation in Gabon after the military coup.
The Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguuma, expressed hope that Monday’s meeting of ECAS leaders will lead to strong decisions against the coup to restore constitutional order in Gabon.
ECAS is one of the largest economic blocs in Africa after the Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It was established in 1983 and includes: Gabon, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda and Chad, and the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.
As ECAS tries to play a role in the Gabon crisis, apart from ECOWAS and IGAD (East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development), a new African player has entered the ranks of managing disputes and crises on the continent. As other organizations of the African Union.
The military seized power in Gabon last Wednesday, less than an hour after President Ali Bongo Odimba declared he had won a new term, insisting the results were rigged and that his regime had run an “irresponsible regime”.
The coup leaders announced that President Bongo had retired and was placed under house arrest. Several other ministers, officials and government officials announced their arrests.
Ali Bongo has ruled Gabon since 2009, when his father, Omar Bongo, died after serving as the country’s president since 1967.
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