Africa
Gabon Opposition Leader Alleges Coup As Family Affairs
It’s a palace revolution, so there’s no military coup. The proof is that it was the praetorian guard that carried out the palace revolution.
Shortly after the announcement of President Ali Bongo’s victory in the presidential election, soldiers took control of the government. They accused him of manipulating the election results to secure a third term in office, given that Bongo’s family had been in power for nearly 60 years.
The following day, the military revealed that General Brice Oligui Nguema would be inaugurated as the “President of the Transition” on Monday.
However, during an interview with the French media outlet TV5 Monde on Thursday, Albert Ondo Ossa referred to the coup as a “family affair” and a “palace revolution” with the aim of maintaining their grip on power.
“Oligui Nguema is Ali Bongo’s cousin. The campaign was 60 years of Bongo is too much. The Bongos have decided to put Ali Bongo aside and continue their system by putting in place a Bongo CEO system,” he said, “And they have put forward Oligui Nguema. In this way, the Bongo system continues.”
His statements were made just days after the military seized control, placing President Bongo under house arrest. The military’s accusation against him centered on allegations of irresponsible governance that they believed could push the oil-rich nation into a state of turmoil.
“Behind Oligui Nguema, there is no need to look far, it’s Pascaline Bongo (Ali Bongo’s sister). That’s all. She stands behind Oligui Nguema, and the Bongo clan continues being in power.”
“It’s a palace revolution, so there’s no military coup. The proof is that it was the praetorian guard that carried out the palace revolution. The other soldiers were not involved,” said Ondo Ossa.
He was defeated by Bongo in the presidential election by a margin exceeding 30 percentage points. The electoral process was widely criticized for its lack of transparency.
The opposition had previously expressed gratitude to the military for taking a stand against what they characterized as an “electoral coup” and had called on the military to finish the ballot counting process.