Gabon’s new strongman General Brice Oligui Nguema (R) salutes as he is inaugurated as Gabon’s interim President, in Libreville on September 4, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
A year after seizing power, Gabon’s General Brice Oligui Nguema appears to have his sights set beyond events starting Thursday to mark the coup’s anniversary and firmly on elections next year.
The Central African nation’s new strongman, who deposed president Ali Bongo Ondimba to end the Bongo dynasty’s 55-year rule, has promised to hand power back to civilians next year.
But Oligui already seems to be campaigning for the presidential election set for August 2025, touring the oil-rich country last month.
“If we’ve been able to do certain things in 10 months, that means we could do a lot in seven years,” he said, referring to a presidential term.
The 48-year-old brigadier general was already able to revel in his popularity during Independence Day celebrations, a few days before the anniversary of his August 30 “coup of liberation”.
Fireworks, a banquet, a military parade and several inaugurations of large projects are planned for Thursday and Friday.
With Ali Bongo since then confined to his private estate, according to his lawyer, and his wife and eldest son held in conditions denounced by their lawyers, his junta-led transitional government has said little about the Bongo family’s fate.
Instead, it has claimed to focus on the return to civilian rule, as well as the economic recovery of a country at once rich and underdeveloped, plagued by years of poor governance.
‘Tailored for General Oligui’
Two months after being sworn in as transitional president, the former head of the presidential guard reassured the international community by setting a two-year timetable for the handover of power.
As part of the process towards free and transparent elections, an “inclusive national dialogue” took place in April.
It came up with a thousand proposals presented by around 680 participants — all appointed by Oligui.
The proposals included the introduction of a presidential system without a prime minister and the temporary suspension of the Gabonese Democratic Party, the influential party of the Bongos.
Daniel Mengara, a former political exile who declared his candidacy for the presidential election on Monday, decried the creation of “institutions tailored for General Oligui”.
He said the proposals amounted to “hyper-presidentialism”, similar to the Bongo’s hold on Gabon.
Presented as a synthesis of the national dialogue, a new constitution is due to be published in the coming days.
After going before parliament, it will be put to a referendum by year’s end.
Quality of life
In a recent editorial, the Gabonreview.com news outlet warned against the referendum being treated as a confidence vote in the post-coup authorities, rather than a vote on the constitution itself.
Splashed across gigantic billboards, the transitional government boasts of its efforts to improve Gabon’s quality of life.
It has introduced free school tuition, repaired more than 600 kilometres (370 miles) of roads and launched youth-in-work programmes to tackle an unemployment rate close to 40 per cent among under-25-year-olds.
But day-to-day problems persist, including regular water and electricity cuts, a high cost of living and supply issues.
Accustomed to living off the proceeds of oil, manganese and timber, the country manufactures almost nothing and imports nearly everything else.
That includes fruit and vegetables, despite its fertile land that receives abundant rainfall.
In Africa’s third-richest country in terms of per-capita GDP, one in three lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
‘Discipline’
Oligui’s oft-repeated goal of “economic recovery” has run up against “shortcomings” in the management of public companies and a public debt of 70.5 percent of GDP, highlighted in an International Monetary Fund report in May.
Styled as a “saviour” and a “liberator”, Oligui has kept to his credo: “Union, discipline, work and justice”.
His detractors say, however, it is a line veering towards authoritarianism.
Seven trade unionists from the water and electricity company, SEEG, were arrested after calling for a strike over the abolition of their 13th-month bonus.
They were questioned for three days by the intelligence services before being released with their heads shaven.
Last week, the authorities widely circulated images of a group of youths arrested on accusations of “sowing fear” in the economic capital Port Gentil — they also had their heads shorn.
Manuel Neuer has been called up to Germany’s World Cup squad – two years after his international retirement.
The 40-year-old was named as part of Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad for the tournament this summer, having not featured for his country since Euro 2024.
Among the list include Premier League players Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade – both of Newcastle – Arsenal striker Kai Havertz, Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz and Brighton’s Pascal Gross.
Injured duo Serge Gnabry and Anton Stach and forwards Karim Adeyemi, Kevin Schade and Niclas Fullkrug are among those to miss out.
Germany’s World Cup squad in full
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle)
Midfielders: Pascal Gross (Brighton), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has opened up on the club’s decision to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new manager.
The Blues confirmed the Spaniard as their next head coach following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, with Alonso set to take charge ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Mikel had previously been vocal about Chelsea’s managerial philosophy, urging the club’s ownership to move away from short-term head coaches and interim appointments and instead bring in a proper manager with full control over the squad
Speaking on his most recent podcast, Mikel said:
“I am glad the owners listened to me, and listened to the fans.
“Forget about coaches, what we have always had are managers, and what we need is a manager who decides on the players he wants out and the players who can stay.
“We need a strong personality, and that is what we have got now in Alonso.
“That title has been changed from coach to manager, but I hope it’s not just words and he is actually allowed to manage the squad. But I am very happy with the appointment.”
Chelsea are still in the hunt for Europa League football, and a win over Sunderland on the final day of the Premier League season would go a long way in determining whether Alonso inherits a European stage to build on next season.
Enzo Maresca is believed to have signed a three-year deal to replace outgoing Man City manager Pep Guardiola, after it was revealed that the legendary head coach will be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season.
Speculation around Guardiola’s departure date has been rife as the season draws to a close, despite the Catalan having one year left on his contract.
According to report, Man City’s sponsors were among those to have been told that Guardiola will be calling time on a remarkable trophy-ladened spell on Sunday.
The report also shared that Maresca, Guardiola’s former assistant, was a front-runner for the vacant spot at the dugout, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on Tuesday morning that the ex-Chelsea manager will be taking over.
The Italian head coach has been out of work since his mutual departure from Stamford Bridge under strained circumstances on January 1.
But even before his acrimonious mid-season exit, Maresca has been viewed as a long-term successor to Guardiola following their stint working together at Man City.
The 46-year-old served as Guardiola’s assistant between 2022 and 2023 after previously coaching Man City’s youth sides, before departing to earn Championship promotion with Leicester.
Maresca then went on to win the Uefa Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea during his 18-month spell in west London.
Guardiola is set to celebrate his time in English football with an open-top bus parade in Manchester after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season, but until Monday night, the manager had been notably vague over his future plans.
But before news broke of his shock exit, Guardiola had been keen to tamp down any suggestions that he would be commemorated with any fanfare.
‘The club don’t have to do anything, honestly,’ Guardiola, who has yet to officially confirm his departure, said. ‘The important thing in our lives is that when you look back, you can look with a big smile and say “that was good”.
‘Bernardo (Silva) and John (Stones) can feel that. We spoke about it over the last few days. When you’re old, a grandfather, you can look at the memories. That is the most important thing in life.’
Tired of addressing his contractual situation, Guardiola added with a dose of sarcasm: ‘Whatever happens at the end of the season – and when I extend my contract for three more years – I can look back and say, “how nice has that been?”
‘That is the most important thing by far. Most of the people who lived this time here together can feel it.’
