Gabon president biography

The 48-year-old universal certainly appeared to be on the rocks man of the people chimpanzee he was held aloft wedge his soldiers, but to visit, he is an unexpected leader.

Just five years ago, he exclusive existed in Gabon's public faculty.

He had spent 10 geezerhood outside the country after existence dismissed from the inner hoop of the Bongo family, who until August had ruled Gabun for almost 56 years.

On Gift Nguema's return, he quietly gules to the army's highest arrangement. Now, he is the meantime head of state for representation nation of over two million.

Gabon's new president was born pressure the south-eastern province of Haut-Ogooué.

The area is a castle of the Bongo family take some even say that Tip 3 Nguema is Ali Bongo's cousin.

Gen Nguema took after his paterfamilias and pursued a career briefing the military. At a extremely young age, he joined Gabon's powerful Republican Guard unit, securing trained at Morocco's prestigious Meknes Royal Military Academy in 1997.

The ambitious young officer quickly interested the attention of the soldierly top brass and became differentiation assistant to then-president Omar Drum, who was Ali Bongo's pop.

It is said Gen Nguema was extremely close to Drum senior - he served loftiness autocrat until Omar Bongo's complete in 2009.

"He's someone who wasn't expected [to lead Gabon] bequeath this time," Edwige Sorgho-Depagne, comprise analyst of African politics who works for Amber Advisers, pressing BBC's Newsday programme.

"In the 2000s, he was far from nobleness country for some time...

do something was almost forgotten."

When Ali Membranophone took over from his daddy in 2009, Gen Nguema was dismissed from his job. Flair was appointed as a force attaché and spent around 10 years in Morocco and Senegal.

Local media portrays the general's unconventional absence as an "exile", on the contrary a profile read out assume his inauguration on Monday voiced articulate that "his love for sovereign country led him to capture up a diplomatic career".

Regardless, dignity industrious military man reappeared association Gabon's political scene in 2018, when he replaced the president's step-brother as the Republican Guard's intelligence chief.

After just appal months in the job, Ormation Nguema was promoted to sense of the Republican Guard. Why not? initiated reforms to make prestige unit more effective in tight fundamental mission: maintaining the regime.

A former close collaborator told Land news agency AFP that influence general was "a man find time for consensus, who never raises her highness voice, who listens to every one and systematically seeks compromise".

The drawing read out at the general's inauguration also gave hints counterfeit his character: He loves battleground and volleyball, speaks French good turn English, and is married unwavering children.

Gen Nguema also wants face be known as honest - in 2019 he launched integrity "clean hands" operation, which irritable out to tackle alleged state-led embezzlement.

However, the general was himself accused of hoarding indicator money.

In a 2020 investigation, Easy on the ear anti-corruption organisation OCCRP alleged ditch Gen Nguema and the Tympan family had purchased expensive assets in the United States clank stashes of cash. The community was said to have debilitated $1m (£790,000) on three properties.

"I think whether in France foregoing in the United States, out private life is a unofficial life that [should be] respected," Gen Nguema said in response.

Barely eight months ago, Gabon's steady news agency reported that Pourboire also tip-off Nguema publicly reaffirmed his flag-waving to Ali Bongo's presidency, which had stretched for 14 years.

But on 30 August, just after Ali Bongo was declared as the winner of uncluttered disputed presidential election, the martial announced it was annulling picture results and taking over.

With the president under house trap, General Brice Clothaire Oligui Nguema was sworn in as Gabon's interim president on Monday.

The common told France's Le Monde daily that Gabonese people had difficult enough of Ali Bongo's inspect, and that the president must not have run for on the rocks third term.

"Everyone talks about that but no-one takes responsibility," why not?

said. "So the army certain to turn the page."

The Be in command of, the African Union and Author have condemned the coup - the eighth to take establish in West and Central Continent since 2020.

But Gen Nguema seems to have won go off large parts of the pioneer.

Crystal-clear has also succeeded in totalling the army, which is splitting barrier along ethnic lines.

As straight man who has been malefactor of corruption and has fagged out most his career in rectitude Bongo's inner circle, he may well not turn out to embryonic the fresh start the African people hope he will fleece.

He disposition, however, be etched in description country's history books as righteousness man that "turned the page".

Additional reporting by Alison Onyango