General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, appointed by the organizers of the military coup in Gabon as the head of state for the transitional period, held talks with representatives of the political opposition platform "Alternative 2023." This report comes from Gabon Media Time.
It's worth noting that the candidate of this coalition, which comprises six parties, including Albert Ondo Ossa, had contested the incumbent head of state Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba in the presidential elections. The coup occurred during the release of the election results, leading to the annulment of the election, and Bongo's placement under house arrest.
During the discussions, the participants highlighted the necessity of uniting the efforts of all political forces in Gabon to ensure a successful transition of power in the country. The meeting included the chairman of "Alternative 2023," Francois Ndong Obiang, as well as the president of the "National Union" party, Paulette Misambo; the president of the "Rally for Party and Modernity" party, Alexandre Barro Chambrier; the president of the "New Gabon" party, Mike Jocktane ; the president of the "Party of Civil Awakening", Therence Gnembou Moutsona; former Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima, and the president of the "Union for Democracy and Social Inclusion" party, Hervé Patrick Opiangah.
Military's position
Meanwhile, the military leaders who assumed control in Gabon have stated that their primary focus will be combating corruption. During a meeting with the country's religious leaders on August 31, General Nguema disclosed initial findings from searches conducted after the coup regarding the relatives of the deposed president. A sum exceeding 7.2 billion West African francs, equivalent to about $12 million, was seized in cash alone. A dedicated bank account has been established to channel all confiscated funds for future use in the republic's development.
Additionally, according to the Africa Intelligence portal, shortly after the coup, General Nguema held discussions with senior French representatives, including Ambassador Alexis Lameck and officials from the French General Directorate for External Security (DGSE). In these discussions, he expressed his intention to strengthen ties with Paris. Furthermore, he provided security assurances to the Bongo family, designating them with an honorary status as former president. Nguema affirmed that the events in Gabon were unrelated to the coup in Niger on July 26. However, the duration of the transitional period was not disclosed.
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Based on materials from TASS