Gabon's New Leader: A Fresh Start or More of the Same?

Gabon has a new leader. Brice Oligui Nguema won the presidential election with a huge lead. The Interior Ministry shared the news on Sunday. They said Nguema got about 90 percent of the votes. His closest competitor, Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze, only got around 3 percent. This result was expected. Nguema led a military takeover in 2023. He ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo family. He promised to bring back the pride of the Gabonese people. He said this in an interview with Al Jazeera. He also talked about his plans for the country's foreign policy. He wants to make it stronger and more active. He mentioned that Gabon has been working with big countries like the United States, France, Russia, and China. He also talked about the new embassies that have opened in Gabon. He said this shows that Gabon is doing well in the world. Gabon has a lot of natural resources. It has oil, gold, and manganese. But many people are still poor. Nearly 40 percent of young people don't have jobs. This is a big problem. People want to see changes. They want electricity, food, and jobs. They also want to see the benefits of the country's wealth. Nguema knows this. He was once the head of the Republican Guard. He promised to fight corruption and help the economy grow. He wants to do this by investing in farming, tourism, and industry. He also wants to make the economy less dependent on oil. But many people are not sure if he can really make these changes. They remember that he was part of the old system. They wonder if this is just a new look for the same old problems. The world is watching too. Gabon has a lot of debt. It needs to show that it can change and build a strong democracy. The economy is growing. It grew by 2. 9 percent in 2024. This is good news. But there is still a lot of work to do. The future of Gabon is uncertain. Only time will tell if Nguema can bring the changes he promised.