Before the uprising, General Brice Oligui Nguema held the position of head of the Republican Guard, in charge of presidential security.
Shortly after the Gabonese electoral commission announced the results of the presidential elections that gave victory to the current president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, a group of high-ranking soldiers revolted against the head of state, dissolved government institutions and declared the end of the “current regime”.
After placing Ondimba under house arrest, the military announced that the commander-in-chief of Gabon’s Republican Guard, General Brice Oligui Nguema, will serve as head of state in a transitional period.
Next, we compile everything that is known about the interim leader of the African nation, who is also cousin of the deposed president who ruled the nation since 2009.
Military training and diplomatic ‘exile’
Nguema, son of a military officer, is considered one of the most influential figures in the country. The senior officer took courses at the Royal Military Academy of Meknes, in Morocco. Later he served as field assistant of former President Omar Bongo, Ondimba’s father, who was in charge of Gabon from 1967 until his death in June 2009details the Mondafrique portal.
When Ali Bongo Ondimba came to power in October 2009, Nguema was sent to Morocco and Senegal as military attache in the respective Gabonese embassies. From Mondafrique they point out that the now provisional leader perceived this as an exile.
career advancement
Ten years later, Nguema was appointed head of the General Directorate of Special Services, the intelligence unit of the Republican Guard. Months later, in April 2019, he received another promotion and went on to head the Republican Guard itself, in charge of presidential security.
As head of that body, Nguema tried to strengthen security within the country and carried out reforms that were considered an attempt to extend the presence of Ondimba in power, review Al Jazeera. According to local press reports, the now provisional leader even composed a song whose lyrics assured that he would “defend my president with honor and loyalty.”
Businessman with properties in the US
Apart from his military work, Nguema carried out business activities, to the point that he is considered a millionaire in high Gabonese circles. According to an investigation published in 2020 by the Organized Crime and Corruption Project (OCCRP) journalistic network, focused on the assets of Bongo Ondimba’s family in the United States, Nguema has several properties in the North American country.
“[Nguema] bought three properties in middle- and working-class neighborhoods in the Maryland suburbs of Hyattsville and Silver Spring, just outside the capital [Washington D.C.]. The homes were purchased by over a million dollars in cash“, stated the OCCRP in its report.
Asked by journalists about these properties, the senior military officer said that it was a private matter. “I think that both in France and in the United States, private life is a private life that must be respected,” he emphasized.
The Army “decided to assume responsibilities”
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, Nguema said that the rebellious military decided to remove Ondimba from power before popular discontent and because the president had no right to run for a third term.
“Beyond that discontent, is the disease of the head of state [Ali Bongo sufrio en octubre de 2018 un derrame cerebral que lo dejo debilitado]. Everyone talks about it, but no one takes responsibility. He was not entitled to a third term, the Constitution was mocked and the electoral method itself was not good. So the army has decided to turn the page, assume responsibilities,” he summarized.
Source: RT
