On August 30th of this year, the Gabon government was overthrown as a military coup took power. The issues leading up to this have been long-standing, due to political unrest and corrupt practices under the Bongo administration.

President Bongo had taken power in Gabon in 2009, following the death of his father, who had been ruling Gabon since 1967. The Bongo family has been in power in Gabon for over 50 years, and has raised suspicions over false election results due to this extended time in office. On Wednesday of last week, President Bongo was revealed to have won his title for the third time in a row.

 According to Douglass Yates, a reporter and professor of political science, the Bongo family has remained in power due to corrupt practices. Specifically, Yates cites that the Bongo family remains in power due to a “single-party government, corruption in the mining and oil sectors, and political kinship.” The family is also seen to have over one billion dollars in assets. Political corruption can also be further seen through the continuous changes to the Gabon Constitution, thus allowing the family to remain in power (for instance, instead of using the average majority vote, the Constitution was changed into plurality).

This is not the first time a coup has occurred in Gabon. In 2019, several members of the Armed Forces of Gabon attempted to take power in the Gabonese government, following President Bongo’s 2016 reelection. Bongo was not in the country at the time, as he was receiving medical treatment in Morocco. The coup was quickly defeated after intervention from the  Gendarmerie Intervention Group, where two members of the coup were killed and the rest taken into custody.

This year, however, the coup has officially taken control of the Gabonese government, forcing President Bongo into house arrest, and is currently working on reforming the government. President Bongo released a video this week, asking for help from the international community. In the video, Bongo confirmed his arrest and called upon the community to “make noise”. He is currently isolated from his wife and child, who, according to him, are held at another place. 

According to video evidence, people in Gabon are currently celebrating the coup. “I am marching today because I am joyful. After almost 60 years, the Bongos are out of Power,” said Jules Lebegui, a 27-year-old who joined the celebrations. Other residents of Gabon express worry over the new government, due to issues concerning violence from the new government.

The coup has named General Brice Oligui Nguema, former head of the presidential guard, as the leader during the transition. It was stated by the coup members that the decision to make him the leader was made through a “unanimous decision” from other Generals leading the coup.

It is unclear what the future holds for Gabon. Government changes brought about by military coups often hold major levels of uncertainty. For now, this is a developing story, and more updates are sure to come.