The military government in Gabon has selected a former opposition leader to serve as the interim Prime Minister.
Raymond Ndong Sima, a 68-year-old economist who previously voiced criticism of President Ali Bongo, has been appointed as the interim Prime Minister by Gabon’s military government. This government took control following a coup last week. Sima served as Prime Minister during Bongo’s presidency from 2012 to 2014 and later ran against him for president in 2016 and as part of an opposition coalition this year.
The appointment of Sima was announced via a decree issued by General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was sworn in as interim president earlier this week. In his inaugural speech, Nguema pledged to conduct “free, transparent, and credible elections” to restore civilian rule, although a specific timeline was not provided.
Ali Bongo, who had been in power since 2009, succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon for 42 years, sparking widespread discontent due to allegations of wealth inequality in the country.
The coup was met with jubilation in the capital, Libreville, and the military government swiftly moved to consolidate its authority. UN special representative Abdou Abarry expressed the UN’s willingness to assist Gabon as it embarks on a new path, pending the formulation of a roadmap and timetable.
Gabon’s coup marked the eighth in West and Central Africa in the past three years, but it differed notably from previous takeovers. Unlike some other coups in the region, Gabon did not witness anti-French or pro-Russian sentiment, and the military leadership in Libreville has shown a willingness to engage with international organizations, in contrast to their counterparts in Niamey, Niger.
While Gabon was suspended from the Central African regional bloc, ECCAS, following the coup, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic met with Nguema as ECCAS’s representative. Touadéra also met with Ali Bongo, with Nguema’s approval, though details of the meeting were not disclosed. Bongo, who had been under house arrest initially, was declared free by the military government and allowed to travel abroad for medical checks if desired.
