The same day he took power, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was keen to make his strategy clear to the French authorities. He claims to want to strengthen relations with Paris.
General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema is trying to find a balance between managing the coup in Gabon while remaining diplomatic.
On 30 August, just a few hours after overthrowing his cousin and president, Ali Bongo, the now transitional president was keen to set out his approach to his French partners.
๐ก๐ด๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ also ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ซ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป, ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ธ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐๐’๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ (๐๐๐ฆ๐).
Nguema has guaranteed Bongo’s safety and has also said that the latter will maintain his status as former president.
He also made a point of assuring his French interlocutors that the current situation in Gabon was not linked to Niger’s coup d’รฉtat of 26 July, which was led by General Abdourrahmane Tchiani.
Nguema has not, however, shared any details regarding the duration of the planned ‘transition’ period.