REFILE: PROFILE: Gabon junta leader Nguema seeks democratic legitimacy in post-coup vote

Record ID: 1987674

  • Title: REFILE: PROFILE: Gabon junta leader Nguema seeks democratic legitimacy in post-coup vote
  • Date: 2nd April 2025
  • Summary: LIBREVILLE, GABON (FILE - SEPTEMBER 4, 2023) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** OFFICER PLACING MEDAL ON NGUEMA AND SALUTING AUDIENCE OFFICER AND NGUEMA EMBRACING AND SALUTING / NGUEMA STANDING A year after the coup, Nguema celebrated the anniversary of his rise to power while preparing for the upcoming April 2024 presidential election. Despite questions a
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  • Keywords: africa central change conflict coups diplomacy elections emerging foreign gabon government lawmakers markets military peace policy politics president voting war
  • Location: LIBREVILLE, GABON
  • City: LIBREVILLE, GABON
  • Country: Gabon
  • Topics: Africa,Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA002345001042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Gabon's Brice Oligui Nguema will try to ride the advantages of incumbency and a popular crackdown on corruption to make the jump from junta leader to democratically-elected president in an election scheduled for April 12.
    The 50-year-old general seized power in the oil-producing Central African country in an August 2023 coup against his distant cousin President Ali Bongo, one of eight successful putsches in West and Central African countries since 2020.
    He promised in the days after the coup to hand over power to civilians in a transition back to constitutional rule, but declared his candidacy for president last month.
    Nguema is favored to win the eight-candidate race, in which his main challenger is seen as Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, Bongo's last prime minister.
    The coup was largely welcomed by Gabonese tired of 56 years of rule by Ali Bongo and his father, Omar, during which the country emerged as one of Africa's leading oil producers but poverty remained widespread.
    (Production: Cooper Inveen)
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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