September 04, (THEWILL) – The leader of the military junta in Gabon, General Brice Oligui Nguema, has been sworn in as the country’s Transitional President.
Dressed in the red ceremonial costume of the Republican Guard, Nguema, on Monday, swore to “preserve the achievements of democracy”, at the ceremony held before judges of the Constitutional Court
“I swear before God and the Gabonese people to faithfully preserve the republican regime,” said Nguema.
He pledged to hold “free and transparent elections” after a transition period, which he did not specify, and to amnesty “prisoners of conscience.”
“With the new government, made up of experienced people, we’re going to give everyone a chance to hope,” he said.
Nguema, head of the elite Republican Guard, led officers in a coup on Wednesday, against President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that had ruled since 1967.
The ousting came just moments after Bongo, 64, was proclaimed victor in last month’s presidential election, a result branded a fraud by the opposition.
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