Brice Oligui Nguema facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brigade General
Brice Oligui
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Oligui in 2024
|
|
| President of Gabon | |
| Assumed office 17 January 2025 |
|
| Prime Minister | Raymond Ndong Sima |
| Vice President | Joseph Owondault Berre |
| Preceded by | Himself |
| Transitional President of Gabon | |
| In office 30 August 2023 – 17 January 2025 |
|
| Prime Minister | Raymond Ndong Sima |
| Vice President | Joseph Owondault Berre |
| Preceded by | Ali Bongo |
| Succeeded by | Himself |
| Chairman of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions | |
| In office 30 August 2023 – 15 January 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position established |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Gabonese Republican Guard | |
| Assumed office 2020 |
|
| Preceded by | Grégoire Kouna |
| Succeeded by | Antoine Balekidra |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 March 1975 Ngouoni, Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon |
| Spouse | Zita Nyangue Oligui |
| Alma mater | Omar Bongo University Meknes Royal Military Academy |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Gabonese Army |
| Rank | Brigade general |
Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (born 3 March 1975) is a top military officer in Gabon, a country in Central Africa. He currently serves as the President of Gabon. He is also the chairman of a group called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions and leads the Gabonese Republican Guard. He is related to the Bongo family, who have been important in Gabon's history. He played a key role in the change of leadership in Gabon in 2023.
Contents
Who is Brice Oligui Nguema?
Early Life and Education
Brice Oligui Nguema was born in Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon, in 1975. His mother was from the Teke people and his father was a Fang military officer. This area of Gabon was known as a strong base for the Bongo family. Through his mother, he is a cousin of the former President, Ali Bongo. He grew up mostly with his mother's family in Haut-Ogooué. He later studied at Omar Bongo University in Gabon.
Military Career and Leadership
Brice Oligui Nguema trained at the Meknes Royal Military Academy in Morocco. This is a well-known military school.
Rise Through the Ranks
After his training, he worked as an aide-de-camp for President Omar Bongo. An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant to a high-ranking official. He served in this role until President Bongo passed away in 2009. After that, he worked as a military attaché for Gabon. This means he represented Gabon's military in its embassies in Morocco and Senegal.
In 2018, he returned to Gabon. He took over the intelligence service of the Republican Guard. He was promoted to Brigadier general in 2019. In 2021, he started a program called Operation Mamba. This program aimed to find and arrest officials who were involved in corruption.
Leading the Republican Guard
In 2020, he became the head of the Gabonese Republican Guard. This is a very important military unit. He took over from General Grégoire Kouna. Oligui Nguema greatly increased the size of a special unit within the Guard. This unit, called the Special Interventions Section (SIS), grew from about 30 members to more than 300. He even wrote a song that included a line about defending his president with honor. People who worked with Oligui Nguema described him as intelligent and easy to talk to. They also said he was "discreet" and good at bringing people together. His soldiers liked him very much.
Becoming President of Gabon
A New Leader for Gabon
In August 2023, there was a change in leadership in Gabon. This event is known as the 2023 Gabonese coup d'état. After this, the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions announced that Oligui Nguema would be the temporary president of Gabon. This announcement was shown on state television. People saw him being carried on the shoulders of happy army members. They were calling him the "President".
In an interview, he said that the military made this change because people were unhappy. This unhappiness had been growing since 2018. He mentioned concerns about the country's constitution and how elections were handled.
Promises for the Future
His role as temporary president was confirmed by other generals. He officially became the "transitional president" on September 4, 2023. This ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace. In his first speech as president, he promised to hold "free, transparent" elections. However, he did not give an exact date for these elections. He also announced that a new government would be formed soon. He suggested creating new laws for elections and a new set of criminal laws. He also proposed a vote on a new constitution. He promised to release all political prisoners. In October 2023, Oligui Nguema announced that he would not take a salary as president. Instead, he would rely on his wages as the commander of the Republican Guard.
Personal Life
Brice Oligui Nguema is married to Zita Nyangue Oligui. His brother-in-law, Régis Onanga Ndiaye, serves as his Minister for Foreign Affairs.
See also
In Spanish: Brice Oligui para niños
