Who is Brice Oligui Nguema, Gabonese military leader

In Libreville, the capital of Gabon, Brice Oligui Nguema is the man in charge.

He led a coup that ousted Ali Bongo Ondimba from power just a few hours after he emerged as the winner of the Saturday presidential election. The election results are still being contested by the opposition, which says there were irregularities.

Oligui Nguema’s first interview was with Le Monde. He maintained that he did not declare himself the transition president. “It’s a debate that we are going to have with all the generals,” he said.

“I am not declaring myself yet, I am not considering anything at the moment,” he said.

Everyone will put forward ideas, and the best ones will be chosen, as well as the name of the person who will lead the transition,” he said.

Ali Bongo’s strong man

Oligui Nguema has not clearly stated what will happen to President Ali Bongo.

But he said, “He’s retired; he has full rights. “He’s a normal Gabonese, like everyone else.” Bongo Ondimba is therefore no longer President of Gabon. It now remains to be seen whether, following this coup, the military will be the only force to ensure the transition following this “coup d’etat” or if Albert Ondo Ossa, the election’s clear winner, will be involved.

Brice Oligui Nguema’s father is a Gabonese general officer. In April 2020, he replaced Grégoire Kouna as the commander-in-chief of the Republican Guard. Ali Bongo came to power in 2009, dismissing him. However, he returned to the GR in October 2019 as the General Manager of Special Services after Frédéric Bongo, Ali’s half-brother, left.

He joined the current Republican Guard of Gabon, choosing the profession of arms very early. Brice Oligui Nguema trained at the Royal Military Academy of Meknes in Morocco and completed the commando course at the Commando Training Centre in the equatorial forest of Gabon. The military hierarchy of the Praetorian Guard quickly noticed him and appointed him as one of the aides in the camp of Omar Bongo. He remained in this position until his disappearance in June 2009.

In his entourage, Brice Oligui Nguema has Ulrich Manfoumbi, the colonel who spoke on public television, and Aimé-Vivian Oyini, both from the Republican Guard. His men call the general to take the presidency.