Brice Nguema, Gabon’s military leader, wins presidential election

Provisional results have shown that Brice Nguema, Gabon’s military leader, has won the country’s presidential election.

According to the results, Nguema’s win was a landslide. On Sunday, the interior ministry said the military leader secured about 90 percent of the vote in the eight-candidate race.

Alain Bilie-By-Nze, Nguema’s main rival, won some three percent of Saturday’s vote, according to the initial results.

The streets of Libreville, Gabon’s capital, have been calm, contrasting with previous elections in 2016 and 2023, which were marked by tensions and unrest.

Nguema ended more than five decades of rule by the Bongo family in August 2023.

Nguema, who was the head of the country’s presidential guard, led a group of soldiers to seize power from President Ali Bongo after a controversial election.

The military officers had cited institutional, political, economic, and social crises as reasons for the coup.

The coup was believed to have punctuated the family’s dynasty, but Nguema has been reported to be Bongo’s cousin.

Gabon, with $3 billion in international debt, is under pressure to prove it can turn the page and build democratic legitimacy.

According to the World Bank, the economy expanded by 2.9 percent in 2024, up from 2.4 percent the year before, buoyed by infrastructure development and higher output of oil, timber, and manganese.