The former general, who led the coup that ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo family, wiped out elections last month after leading the transitional government.
Bliss Oligui Nuguema, who led a coup in Gabon to end decades of control of the Bongo family and swept the election with nearly 95% of the vote last month, has been sworn in as president of the country.
The general and former military government leaders who defeated Alibongo in August 2023 formally took the president’s reins on Saturday after leading the 19-month transitional government.
The inauguration at Angondje Stadium in the north of capital Libreville drew some 40,000 supporters and was attended by more than 20 African heads of state, including The Gambia’s Adama Barrow, Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Djibouti’s Ismail Omar Guelleh, and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, the AFP news agency reported. President Felix Tsusisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was also present.
The streets of Libreville were badly locked up as thousands of people gathered at the venue, with artistic performances and plans planned along the Libreville waterfront in the evening, state media reported.
“All citizens of Greater Livville are being asked to be warmly welcomed by these prominent guests,” the Department of Interior and Security said in a statement.
Oligui, 50, took power after entrusting Ali Bongo, who had ruled Gabon for 55 years. The Bongo era was characterized by a closely controlled sponsorship system that enriched the elite, leaving most citizens excluded from the prosperity of Gabon’s oil-fueled oil.
Oligui faces serious challenges in leading oil-rich countries that need to revamp their critical infrastructure and diversify their economies, but they are very much benefiting.
Oligui, the former head of elite Republican security guards, has promised to deviate from past dynasty politics.
In his first international news interview since the election, Oligui told Al Jazeera that he was determined to “restore dignity to the people of Gaboné.”
“I will give people what I gave me today to people, and whatever was stolen from them, I want to go back to them,” he said.
Despite its enormous reserves of oil, gold and manganese and its role as an important part of the Congo Basin rainforest, the country is fighting widespread poverty.
According to 2024 World Bank data (PDF), around 40% of young people are unemployed, with about a third of the total population below the poverty line.
During the transition period, Oligui tried to portray himself as a reformer and “builder,” and set up a well-known construction project, pledging to tackle endemic corruption. His campaign slogan, “We Build Together,” was prominently visible during rallysations in the preliminary stages of the election.
However, Oligui’s own records are under scrutiny. A 2020 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Report Project revealed that he is said to own more than $1 million in US real estate, previously supporting the expansion of Bongos’ overseas business ventures.
When asked about these bonds, Oligui said they were “private events.”
However, early indications in the World Bank’s latest report show that Gabon’s economy rose 2.9% in 2024, driven by increased oil, timber and manganese production and public infrastructure spending.
Once Oligui begins its official term, investors and international observers are checking whether Gabon and its 2.2 million population can turn the page under decades of dynasty rules.
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