On Wednesday, a group of military officers in Gabon took control of the government through a coup and appointed General Brice Oligui Nguema as the interim leader of the country. Gen Nguema was paraded through the streets of the capital, Libreville, by his troops in a triumphant manner.

The ousted President, Ali Bongo, made an appearance in a video from his residence, urging his supporters around the world to raise their voices on his behalf. Gabon, a former French colony and a significant oil producer in Africa, saw the end of the Bongo family's 55-year grip on power due to Mr. Bongo's overthrow.

In the early hours of Wednesday, army officers announced on television that they had taken control of the government. They declared the nullification of the results of the recent Saturday election, which had declared Mr. Bongo as the winner, a result contested by the opposition for being fraudulent. Additionally, one of Mr. Bongo's sons was reported to have been arrested on charges of treason.

Shortly after, a group of generals convened to determine the leadership transition. Through a unanimous decision, they appointed Gen Nguema, who had previously headed the presidential guard, to lead the transitional phase. In an interview with France's Le Monde newspaper, Gen Nguema stated that the Gabonese populace had grown weary of Ali Bongo's governance and criticized his pursuit of a third term, asserting that responsibility needed to be taken.

The news of the coup was met with celebrations in various parts of Gabon, including Libreville. However, international organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union, along with France, a nation closely associated with the Bongo family, denounced the coup.
The US State Department urged Gabon's military to "preserve civilian rule" and urged "those responsible to release and ensure the safety of members of government". The UK condemned the "unconstitutional military takeover" of power.

There has long been simmering resentment of the Bongo family - it ruled Gabon for almost 56 years - and there has been public discontent over broader issues such as the cost of living.

"At first I was scared, but then I felt joy," a resident of Libreville, who requested anonymity, told the BBC. "I was scared because of the realization that I am living through a coup, but the joy is because we've been waiting for so long for this regime to be overthrown."

Gen Nguema, 48, was absent from the first three statements read out by senior army officers on national television to announce the coup.

But he was named transitional leader soon after, and was carried through the streets in jubilant scenes.

He was aide-de-camp to the ousted leader's father, Omar Bongo, who ruled for almost 42 years until his death in 2009.

A former close colleague told AFP news agency that Gen Nguema had been extremely close to Omar Bongo, serving him from 2005 until his death in a Spanish hospital.

Under Ali Bongo he first worked as a military attache at Gabon's embassies in Morocco and Senegal.

But in 2018 he was made intelligence chief under the elite republican guard - Gabon's most powerful army unit - replacing Ali Bongo's half-brother Frederic Bongo, before getting promoted to general.

As in previous general elections in Gabon, there were serious concerns about the process in Saturday's vote.

Main opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa complained that many polling stations had lacked ballot papers bearing his name, while the coalition he represented said the names of some of those who had withdrawn from the presidential race had still been on the ballot sheet.

Both of Mr. Bongo's previous wins were disputed as fraudulent by opponents. This time, controversial changes were made to voting papers just weeks before election day.

In 2018, he suffered a stroke which sidelined him for almost a year and led to calls for him to step aside.

The following year, a failed coup attempt saw mutinying soldiers sent to prison.

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