Gabon general to be sworn in as president; AU suspends country's membership

The general who overthrew Gabon's 55-year Bongo dynasty will be sworn in as transitional president, the army has said, as the opposition called for its candidate to be recognised as the winner of weekend elections.

The military sought to reassure donors they would "respect all commitments" at home and abroad and "phase in" transitional institutions, Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, spokesperson for the new regime, said on state television on Thursday.

The swearing-in of General Brice Oligui Nguema will take place on Monday at the constitutional court, said the spokesperson, providing the first indication of how the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions [CTRI] would operate following Wednesday's putsch.

But the African Union's [AU] Peace and Security Council strongly condemned the coup and said it decided to "immediately suspend" Gabon until the restoration of constitutional order in the country.

AU said it is barring Gabon's participation in all its activities, organs and institutions until constitutional order is restored.

Central Africa's political bloc, of which Gabon is a member, also condemned the coup in a statement and said it planned an "imminent" meeting of heads of state to determine how to respond. It did not give a date.

Opposition seeks discussion with military

Gabon's opposition Alternance 2023 alliance had remained silent since the coup, but on Thursday called on the military leaders to acknowledge its victory in the election.

The alliance "invited the defence and security forces to the discussion so as to work out... the best solution," following the vote.

Led by university professor Albert Ondo Ossa, Alternance had earlier accused President Ali Bongo Ondimba of "fraud" and demanded he hand over power "without bloodshed".

Ondo Ossa on Thursday claimed the Bongo clan remained in control and there had not been a coup but a "palace revolution".

"Oligui Nguema is Ali Bongo's cousin," he told France's TV5 Monde.

"The Bongos found that Ali Bongo had to be put aside to be able to properly pursue the Bongo system."

"Oligui Nguema is an underling. Behind him, it's the Bongo clan keeping hold of power," he said, urging international help to restore order.

Coups in Africa

Ali Bongo, whose father Omar held power for more than four decades, was toppled moments after being declared outright winner in bitterly disputed weekend elections.

Amid scenes of joy in the oil-rich country, the coup leaders had named the head of the elite Republican Guard, General Nguema, as transitional president.

But they imposed a night-time curfew "to maintain calm and serenity," and Gabon's borders remained closed.

Bongo's fate remains unclear, but the CTRI, which includes the heads of all army corps, said he had been put under house arrest and "placed in retirement".

Bongo was elected in 2009 following the death of his father, who reputedly amassed a fortune from Gabon's oil wealth.

In 2016, he was re-elected – again in fiercely disputed conditions – before suffering a stroke in 2018 that weakened his grip on power.

The coup announcement came just moments after the national election authority declared Bongo had won a third term in Saturday's election with 64.27 percent of the vote.

The poll, condemned as bogus by the opposition, was declared cancelled by the new CTRI leaders.

The takeover sparked broad condemnation, and Nigeria warned of Africa's "contagious autocracy".

Five other countries in Africa — Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso and Niger — have undergone coups in the last three years, with their new rulers resisting demands to return to barracks quickly.