Gabon’s new strongman continues international visits, meets Congo’s Denis Sassou-Nguesso

Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, the General and new leader of Gabon met Sunday with Congo’s President Denis Sassou-Nguesso to thaw ties with Brazzaville and to seek Congo’s support to end the isolation of the country after the August 30 military coup that brought him to power.

Nguema who took oath on September 04 as Gabon’s transitional President came to power by removing Ali Bongo Odimba who ran the central African country for 14 years.

The coup was met with rejections from several countries and international organizations. The African Union (AU), regional bloc the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and Commonwealth have suspended the country’s membership.

The office of Nguema indicated that the visit to Congo was meant to seek Sassou-Nguesso’s help for the reinstatement of Gabon in the various organizations.

Gabon also according to the office will attend the Congo Basin Conference slated for October 26-28 in Brazzaville.

The visit to Congo is Nguema’s second trip abroad since assuming power. He met on September 19 with the President of neighboring Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The Malobo visit was meant to thaw ties with Mbasogo that Libreville believed is opposed to Nguema’s seizure of power.

The small neighboring country reportedly opposed Nguema’s rise to power, in favor of the opposition that alleged it won August 26 presidential elections.

The candidate of the opposition, Ondo Ossa, claimed victory of the elections that the junta led by Nguema declared rigged.

The Gabonese army, few days after the coup, reportedly arrested Mike Jocktane close to Ossa, at the border between the two countries with a letter signed by the opposition figure.

The letter was reportedly addressed to Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Equatorial Guinea’s Defense minister to intervene in Gabon in favor of the opposition.