Gabon's military leader Brice Oligui Nguema sworn in as interim President

Brice Oligui Nguema, the leader of Gabon's military junta, has been sworn in as the nation's interim President. This comes after military officers led by Gabonese General Nguema seized power of the Central African nation last week, ousting Gabon President Ali Bongo, minutes after he was named winner of a disputed election.

 

Media reports said, General Nguema was sworn in as the interim by the country's constitutional court judges in a televised ceremony. He vowed to hold elections after a still-unspecified transition period. Reports said, crowds of cheering civilians turned up at his inauguration,  a sign there is some support for the military.  Nguema was given a standing ovation by an audience of military



officers and officials as he arrived for the ceremony and again after he was sworn in.

 

The coup ended a 56-year hold on power by the Bongo family after the election result was annulled by the military who said it was not credible. Ali Bongo's father, Omar, was in power for 41 years before he died in 2009 and was succeeded by his son.

 

Gabon is the sixth Francophone country to fall under military rule in the last three years as former colonial power France struggles to maintain its influence on the continent. Gabon has been suspended from the African Union following the coup, which has been condemned by the United Nations and France.