The leader of the military junta which ousted Gabon’s President Ali Bongo will be sworn in today as interim President.
General Brice Oligui Nguema, according to Reuter, is expected to address the nation for the first time as interim President after a swearing-in ceremony that would appear to solidify the junta’s grip on power.
The military officers led by Nguema seized power on Aug. 30, minutes after an announcement that Bongo had secured a third term in an election, a result they annulled and said was not credible.
The Gabonese coup is the eighth in the last three years in West and Central Africa.
The coup, which ended the Bongo family’s 56-year dynasty, drew cheering crowds onto the streets of the capital Libreville. But the forceful takeover had received condemnation from abroad.
Leaders of the Central African regional bloc ECCAS are due to meet in person on Monday to discuss their response to the ouster. Last week they urged partners led by the United Nations and the African Union to support a rapid return to constitutional order.
The junta has not yet said how long it envisages holding power. On Friday, Nguema said it would proceed “quickly but surely,” but cautioned that too much haste could lead to elections that lack credibility.
Gabon’s main opposition group, Alternance 2023, which says it is the rightful winner of the Aug. 26 election, has called on the international community to encourage the junta to hand power back to civilians.