After the coup in Gabon: interim president sworn in Russia: ‘General Armageddon’ suddenly reappeared

Five days after the coup in Gabon, the new military ruler Brice Oligui Nguema was sworn in as interim president. The inauguration ceremony took place Monday at the presidential palace in the capital Libreville. The crowd outside the palace cheered the Brigadier General.

Nguema promised this weekend to lead the Central African country towards more democracy. The suspension of all state institutions is a temporary measure, he promised, without specifying any concrete steps or timetable for new elections. The new rulers also opened Gabon’s land, sea and air borders, which had been closed since the coup.

On August 30, the army took over. Nguema, the head of the presidential guard, was appointed as the new ruler. According to the official results, President Ali Bongo had been elected for a third term shortly before. However, there were serious doubts about whether the vote was free and fair.

The Bongo family, which has ruled autocratically for more than fifty years, has long been accused of corruption. Despite the country’s oil wealth, most of Gabon’s approximately 2.3 million inhabitants live in poverty. Many Gabons celebrated the coup as “liberation” from a kleptocracy. (sda/dpa)