1 week Ago By Saikou Jammeh and Elian Peltier
Voters in Gabon are set to pick their next president on Saturday, and on paper they have plenty of options: anti-French firebrands, a general who staged a coup, a tax inspector and a female candidate in this oil-rich Central African country. But most candidates and experts agree that the election might be a done deal. They say the race has been rigged in favor of Brice Oligui Nguema, the general who staged a coup in 2023 and has ignored his early promises to hand power over to a civilian.
“It is not a level playing field to begin with,” said Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Washington-based organization that is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Gabon is a resource-rich country of 2.5 million that was long ruled by one family. Although wealthier than other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, unemployment is widespread and poverty is high, making those key issues for voters.
Here is what to know about the presidential contest. Who are the main contenders? A 50-year-old general who swapped his uniform for jeans, Jordan sneakers and dance moves on the campaign trail, Mr. Nguema is widely tipped to win.
Mr. Nguema served as an aide-de-camp to Gabon’s long-ruling autocrat, , and was head of the Republican Guard under his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was in 2023. We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
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