Out of all the putschists who have seized power in French-speaking Africa in recent years, 49-year-old Brice Oligui Nguema holds a special place in the eyes of Paris. Unlike the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, with whom diplomatic relations are atrocious, the president of the transitional government of Gabon is considered a man to be reckoned with.
On Tuesday, May 28, seven months after overthrowing his cousin, Ali Bongo Ondimba, he is due to begin a five-day official visit to France, culminating in a meeting with Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace on Friday, where he will be received with military honors.
Welcoming this putschist as a "normal" president is in line with the special treatment France has given him since he took power on August 30, 2023. After the usual condemnation of the coup d'état that took place just hours after Ali Bongo's disputed re-election, Paris did not advocate any sanctions, contrary to its approach to Sahel countries, notably Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum had been overthrown a month earlier. Likewise, Gabon's new president has never voiced any resentment toward the former colonial power. Back in December, Macron and Oligui held talks on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai.
Paris refutes in advance the accusation of a "double standard," and stresses the differences between the situations in Gabon and the Sahel. "Not all putschists are equal," explained a French elected official. "Since August 30, no French flags have been burned in Gabon. What's more, there's a major difference with this junta: They are committed to respecting the transition timeline and are moving forward quickly. An inclusive national dialogue has been held. Work on the constitution is underway. President Oligui is a methodical man. He does what he says and keeps his promises."
The fall of Ali Bongo, who succeeded his father in 2009, was actually met with a certain indifference in Paris. While Libreville was one of the strongholds of "Françafrique" [France's sphere of influence in its former African colonies] during Omar Bongo's 41-year reign, relations between the two countries became increasingly strained under his son's regime. Criticism of the former Gabonese president's governance, followed by the opening of investigations into the family's "ill-gotten gains" in France, even prompted Ali Bongo to join the Commonwealth in 2022. The fate of the deposed president, who is still living under house arrest and is on hunger strike to protest against the conditions of detention of his wife Sylvia and son Nourredine, has not elicited any official reaction from France.
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