Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi (C), spokesperson for the newly formed Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, read a statement on Gabonese TV on September 2, 2023 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Last Wednesday, a group of 12 Gabonese soldiers who led the coup junta announced to seize power and placed President Ali Bongo Ondimba under arrest at his palace.

A new leader was appointed after Gabon’s election commission announced that Bongo had been elected to a third term. The coup leaders then announced the closure of the borders.

Last Friday, leaders of the coup pledged to soon restore democracy in the country. General Brice Oligui Nguema, Chairman of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI), insisted that the dissolution of Gabon’s institutions was only a temporary solution to reorganize the institutions in order to make them more democratic, more in line with international standards and the rule of law, and to effectively deal with corruption issues in the country.