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.
Oliver Glasner is in advanced talks to replace Vitor Pereira as Nottingham Forest head coach, a move which would see the Austrian become the club’s fifth manager in less than a year.
Pereira announced his departure from the club in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it came as a “complete surprise to me and without any warning”.
Glasner is a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace — where he won the FA Cup in 2024-25 and then the Community Shield and Conference League the following campaign — and is set to stay in the Premier League.
The 51-year-old confirmed in January that he would leave Palace at the end of the season after two years in charge.
On Thursday, Forest confirmed Pereira’s coaching staff Filipe Almeida, Luis Miguel, Bruno Moura, Marco Knoop and Pedro Lopes had all left the club alongside the head coach.
Pereira, 57, was appointed Forest head coach in February on an 18-month contract which runs until 2027.
The Athletic reported in May Forest had been planning to show their faith in Pereira by handing the head coach a new long-term contract, but those talks were subsequently put on hold.
“Today marks the end of my journey as head coach of Nottingham Forest,” he said in his statement.
“I want to say a sincere thank you to everyone connected with this incredible football club. Although this decision came as a complete surprise to me and without any warning, I fully respect the club’s right to make the decisions it believes are best for its future.
“Naturally, I am disappointed and saddened. I truly believed in what we were building together, and I leave with a sense of pride in everything we achieved over the past months.
“Together, we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. We secured the club’s Premier League status, reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, and created moments that will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I saw a group of players grow in confidence, belief and togetherness.
“I leave Nottingham Forest with no bitterness or resentment—only respect, gratitude and wonderful memories. Football is full of unexpected moments, and while this chapter has ended sooner than I expected, I will always look back on my time here with pride and affection.”
The Portuguese succeeded Sean Dyche and was Forest’s fourth permanent boss of the season following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.
Nuno had led Forest to Europa League qualification the previous season but he departed in September, less than three months after signing a new deal. Postecoglou was appointed his replacement but was dismissed just 39 days later. Dyche took charge of the team in October before his dismissal in February.
Forest were three points above the relegation zone when Pereira was appointed and he subsequently steered his side to Premier League safety with two games of the campaign remaining.
His appointment marked his second managerial spell in the Premier League after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety during the 2024-25 campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo has publicly countered suggestions from his sister, Katia Aveiro, that he intends to retire from international football following the World Cup.
The Portuguese legend recently led his team to the round of 16 following a 2-1 victory over Croatia.
Ronaldo continued to be a pivotal player for his country, having scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot after going one goal down in the second half.
Following his goal, he became the oldest player to score in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.
Reports from Portuguese media had quoted Aveiro stating that the current tournament would be Ronaldo’s final appearance for the national team.
Before the recent match against Croatia, Aveiro was quoted as saying, “From the information I have, from a reliable source, I believe that this is the last dance, so let’s enjoy it. I strongly believe this is the farewell.”
However, the football icon has made it clear that his focus remains solely on the present, not on his future.
“My future isn’t important right now,” Ronaldo stated. “I’ll have time; after winning or losing, I’ll talk to my family and then make the best decision.”
The legendary forward, who recently secured a trophy in Saudi Arabia, holds the record for both appearances and goals for his national team, with 146 goals in 232 caps.
The UEFA Appeals Body has announced that Czech club Karvina is banned from participating in next season’s Europa League. UEFA made the decision based on competition regulations, ruling that Karvina “directly or indirectly participated in activities aimed at manipulating or influencing the results of domestic matches,” as stated in the official resolution.
As a result of this decision, Karvina’s spot as domestic cup winner will be taken by Viktoria Plzeň, with Viktoria Plzeň’s second qualifying round spot going to Hradec Králové. Jablonec will fill the vacant Conference League spot originally held by Hradec Králové.
In the Europa League, Hradec Králové will face Tromsø. In the Conference League, Jablonec will face Varaždin.
Viktoria Plzeň will learn their opponent in the Europa League playoff draw on Monday, August 3.
