The leader of the military junta in Gabon Brice Nguema has been sworn in as interim President.
General Brice Oligui Nguema in his speech after taking the oath of office vowed to restore civilian rule through “free, transparent and credible elections,” according to Reuters.
According to Nguema, the elections would be the stepping stone to “handing power back to the civilians,” although he did not give a timeline.
Nguema said he was seeking the participation of all of Gabon’s “core groups” to draft a new constitution, which “will be adopted by referendum.”
Similarly, he said he would be instructing “the future government to consider ways of amnestying prisoners of conscience” and “facilitating the return of all exiles” from abroad.