The Causa Operária Journal had access to the full text that served as the basis for Brice Oligui Nguema’s inaugural speech as President of the transition in Gabon. The event took place on September 4th when Nguema swore before the Constitutional Court.
Read here the exclusive English translation, made by Causa Operária Journal, of the President’s speech:
I would like to begin this speech by expressing, with a grateful heart, thanks to the Almighty God. It is thanks to His continuous blessings upon our country, Gabon, that we can proudly stand here this morning in this Hemicycle of the Palace of Renewal. The same God who spoke to us on the morning of August 30th, 2023, and continues to guide our steps to this day. Allow me to remind you of the words spoken by the late President Omar Bongo in this very room after 42 years in power, following the late President Léon M’ba, the first President of Gabon:
“God did not grant us the right to do with Gabon what we have been doing; He watches over us. He says: have fun. When He wants to punish us, He will.” This wise statement was, in fact, God’s voice finally fulfilling His will for the Gabonese people today.
Gabonese citizens, my dear compatriots, allow me to express my sincere thanks to all those who have made the effort to attend this inauguration ceremony in large numbers. I have a special thought for all Gabonese in the diaspora who are following this ceremony from afar. But I especially remember all our compatriots who dreamed of experiencing this day but have gone before us. I think of all the supporters of change and alternation: Simon Oyono Aba’a, Martine Oulabou, Pierre Louis Agondjo Okawè, Pierre Mamboundou Mamboundou, André Mba Obame, to name just a few.
As former Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings said, and I quote: “When the people are oppressed by their leaders, with the complicity of the judges, it is the duty of the military to restore their freedom.” It was with this spirit that on August 30th, 2023, like a meteor in the dark night, the Defense and Security Forces of our country took on their responsibilities, rejecting the electoral coup announced by the Gabonese Election Center after a blatantly biased electoral process. It was without violence, without riots, and without bloodshed that the Committee for Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) changed the regime that had monopolized power in the Republic’s institutions for the past years, flagrantly disregarding democratic rules.
This unprecedented patriotic action will undoubtedly remain an “exemplary case” in history. The republican army refused to support a coup that would have cost many citizens their lives. The people simply demand that their rights be guaranteed through functional institutions. The defense and security forces faced a dual choice: to kill Gabonese citizens who would legitimately protest or to interrupt a rigged electoral process in which conditions did not allow for democratic expression. We assumed our responsibility and said, “NO. Never again in our beautiful country, Gabon!” This is an opportunity to thank the people for spontaneously embracing this patriotic act. We were surprised to hear some international institutions condemning the actions of the soldiers who simply upheld their oath under the flag: to save the homeland, even at the risk of their lives.
Desmond Tutu said, I quote: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” We, the Defense and Security Forces, have chosen to stand with the people and freedom, as General De Gaulle did once. My dear compatriots, the Constitution is the founding document of a state. It enshrines its institutions, its specific procedures, and the mechanisms of representation that were no longer in line with our society. Therefore, it is important for Gabonese from all walks of life to agree to adopt, through a referendum, a new Constitution, as well as reliable electoral and penal codes, guaranteeing equal opportunities for all. Our country deserves strong, credible institutions, clean governance, and compliance with international standards regarding the respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law.
I also emphasize that Gabon is an indivisible nation, with the diversity of its cultures, ethnic complexity, and geography. The unity of our people must always be the essential condition for the exercise of our fundamental freedoms. Personally, I will ensure this throughout the transition period. I also commit to maintaining relations of great friendship, tolerance, and harmony among Gabonese and our foreign brothers. Politics and administration in a country are areas of national sovereignty, and saying this is not xenophobia. In recent days, the Committee for Transition and Restoration of Institutions has initiated consultations with all the vibrant forces of the nation. The concerns raised are legitimate and clear. Therefore, with the government to be formed in the coming days, composed of experienced and proven competent individuals, we will work to give everyone reasons to expect a better life. Now, I solemnly commit to sparing no effort so that, at the end of this transition, our country has strong, democratic, and credible institutions.
Dear compatriots, in international law, it is said that state relations are above individuals. In other words, people come and go, but the state endures. Gabon was one of the founding members of many regional and sub-regional organizations and, as such, intends to fully play its role in the concert of nations.
Gabonese people,
Today, the happy times dreamed of by our ancestors have finally come to us. Therefore, profound changes stemming from our collective reflection are necessary. This is why I instruct the future government from now on to promptly consider the mechanisms to be implemented in order to:
- Facilitate the return of all political exiles to the country;
- Reinstate scholarships for high school students;
- Grant amnesty to political prisoners;
- Finance the national economy with local partners and local financial institutions;
- Create synergy, with the support of local banks, for the payment of pensions to retirees;
- Review the conditions for granting Gabonese citizenship;
- Review land ownership laws in the Gabonese Republic.
At the end of this transition, with the contribution of all Gabonese development partners, we intend to return power to civilians by organizing new free, transparent, and credible elections in peace. A tribute to the founding fathers of our beautiful nation.
Gabonese people: finally, our path to happiness has arrived.
Honor and loyalty to the homeland.
Thank you, everyone.
