Gabonese President Ali Bongo on Friday appointed Julien Nkoghe Bekale as his new Prime Minister.

“By decree of the President of the Republic, Mr. Julien Nkoghe Bekale is appointed Head of Government ,” announced the Secretary General of the Gabonese Presidency, Jean-Yves Teale, in a video broadcast on state media on Friday night.

Former Prime Minister Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet becomes “Mediator of the Republic”, added Mr. Teale.

The two appointments came a few minutes after the establishment of the new parliament in Gabon.

At the age of 60, Nkoghe Bekale has held several ministerial dockets under Ali Bongo’s government, but also under his father, Omar Bongo, who died in 2009.

In its 2018 report, the Gabonese Court of Auditors noted “irregularities” in the management of public funds at the time when Nkoghe Bekale was head of the Ministry of Oil and Gas from 2009-2011.

In particular, the auditors pointed out “the irregular appropriation of political funds” derived from oil revenues and masked as “state security funds”.

A new government is expected soon with a smaller number of ministers.

The government says it wants to control the wage bill of its civil servants as it battles a cash crisis stemming from low oil revenues.

The ministers will have to take an oath before President Ali Bongo, currently recuperating in Morocco following a stroke last October.

Bongo’s state of health has been the subject of speculation in Gabon. Reports say this has triggered a power play among the president’s relatives who hold senior position in government, public service, military and intelligence agencies.

Nkoghe Bekale’s appointment comes just days after loyalist forces beat off a coup attempt by junior officers of Gabon’s Republican army. He’s widely seen as an attempt to shore up the Bongo family rule over oil-rich Gabon, now thought to be at its weakest in over 50 years. </s> Gabon President Ali Bongo has appointed a new prime Minister after a thwarted attempted coup by Military officers last week.

The planners of the coup were arrested hours after seizing the National radio station trying to overthrow the President who has been away in Morocco for the past two months after suffering a stroke.

Ondo Obiang the leader of the coup said the coup was being carried out “to restore democracy” and to oust “those who, in a cowardly way, assassinated our young compatriots on the night of August 31 2016” – a reference to deadly violence that erupted after Bongo was declared the winner of a disputed election.

Bongo appointed Julien Nkoghe Bekale as prime minister, replacing Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, who has served since 2016. He hails from the Fang tribe which is the largest ethnic community in Gabon. Bongo has followed the roots of his father by this appointment broadening the president’s base.

His absence in the country since he suffered his stroke has led many to believe that He was unfit for the presidency although the government has insisted he is recovering well.

Do you have a story you want told? Do you know of a sensitive story you would like us to get our hands on? Email your news TIPS to [email protected] Also WhatsApp 0708677607 with your news tips </s> Gabon's President Ali Bongo, who has been out of the country for two months recovering from a stroke, named a new prime minister on Saturday in an apparent effort to shore up his political base days after a failed coup attempt.

The plotters of Monday's coup attempt were arrested or killed within hours of seizing the national radio station, but the move reflected growing frustration with a government weakened by Bongo's secretive medical leave in Morocco.

In a decree read by the secretary-general of the presidency on national television early on Saturday morning, Bongo named Julien Nkoghe Bekale as prime minister, replacing Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, who has served since 2016.

Issoze-Ngondet's tenure was marked by a sharp drop in oil output and prices that has squeezed revenues, raised debt and stoked discontent in the OPEC member state. </s> Gabon's Bongo names new prime minister after thwarted coup attempt (Reuters) - Gabon’s President Ali Bongo, who... </s> LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Gabon’s President Ali Bongo, who has been out of the country for two months recovering from a stroke, named a new prime minister on Saturday in an apparent effort to shore up his political base days after a failed coup attempt.

FILE PHOTO: Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba arrives for a group picture at the BRICS summit meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, July 27, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo

The plotters of Monday’s coup attempt were arrested or killed within hours of seizing the national radio station, but the move reflected growing frustration with a government weakened by Bongo’s secretive medical leave in Morocco.

In a decree read by the secretary-general of the presidency on national television early on Saturday morning, Bongo named Julien Nkoghe Bekale as prime minister, replacing Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, who has served since 2016.

Issoze-Ngondet’s tenure was marked by a sharp drop in oil output and prices that has squeezed revenues, raised debt and stoked discontent in the OPEC member state.

Oil workers’ strikes have become more common, and economic growth was 2 percent last year, down from over 7 percent in 2011.

The nomination of Nkoghe Bekale, 56, who has held several ministerial posts since 2009, represents a return to a tradition begun by Bongo’s father, Omar, of choosing prime ministers from the Fang, Gabon’s largest ethnic group.

Omar Bongo ruled Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009, establishing the country as a pillar of “Francafrique”, a web of influence that gave companies from former colonial power France favored access to African autocrats.

The Bongos come from a smaller ethnic group, and the appointments were a way of broadening the president’s base. But Ali Bongo, who succeeded his father when he died, bucked tradition in 2016 by choosing Issoze-Ngondet, who comes from a different ethnic group.

Bongo’s absence from Gabon since his Oct. 24 stroke in Saudi Arabia has raised questions about his ability to continue carrying out his official functions, although the government has insisted he is recovering well.

A Dec. 31 address from Morocco in which the 59-year-old president slurred his speech and appeared unable to move his right arm failed to reassure many Gabonese and was cited as one of the coup plotters’ reasons for acting.

Bongo won re-election in 2016 by fewer than 6,000 votes amid widespread accusations of fraud, sparking deadly clashes between protesters and police during which the parliament was torched. </s> Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s prime minister announced a new government in a video message recorded thousands of miles away in Morocco, where ailing Gabonese President Ali Bongo is recovering from a stroke.

Recently appointed PM Julien Nkoghe Bekale gave details of the reshuffle in footage broadcast late Saturday on state television, less than a week after the country foiled an attempted coup.

Gabon has been without effective government for months since Bongo suffered the stroke in October during a visit to Saudi Arabia.

A new cabinet was also announced on Saturday evening by presidential secretary Jean-Yves Teale in another video missive recorded in Morocco. No significant changes were made to either the cabinet or the government.

Gabon’s constitution states that ministers must take their vows before the president — but in Bongo’s lengthening absence it is unclear how, when and where the ceremony will take place.

On Monday renegade soldiers stormed a state radio station to call for an uprising while Bongo was abroad.

Security forces captured the rebel chief and killed two of his men at the broadcasting offices in the capital Libreville, restoring calm to the city after hours of upheaval.

However questions remain over the balance of power in the West African nation where political change has been negligible for more than half a century.

Brice Laccruche Alihanga, head of the cabinet since 2017 who is reportedly close to first lady Sylvia Bongo, retained his post in the new line-up.

Ali Bongo, 59, is the son of Omar Bongo, who became head of state in 1967 and died in June 2009, leaving a legacy of corruption allegations. </s> The military in Gabon has seized power from the current president, Ali Bongo, whose family has been in office for over 50 years. Ali Bongo succeeded his father Omar Bongo as president in 2009. He narrowly won re-election in 2016 in a poll marred by violence and accusations of fraud.

Soldiers in the oil-rich West African country say they launched a coup “to restore democracy”.

They took control of the national radio station at 04:30 local time to read a short statement announcing a “National Restoration Council”.

Tanks and armed vehicles can be seen on the streets of the capital Libreville.

Mr Bongo, who has been out of the country for two months, reportedly suffered a stroke in October and received treatment in Morocco.

The government is yet to react to this development.

Also, Like us on facebook </s> LIBREVILLE, Gabon — Military officers in Gabon attempted to stage a coup early Monday morning, seizing the state radio station and declaring their dissatisfaction with President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who is recovering from a stroke in Morocco.

A New Year’s Eve address by Mr. Bongo “reinforced doubts about the president’s ability to continue to carry out of the responsibilities of his office,” said Lt. Kelly Ondo Obiang, the leader of the self-declared Patriotic Movement of the Defense and Security Forces of Gabon.

The radio message was broadcast at around 4:30 a.m. local time. A spokesman for the president said he would make a statement shortly.

Mr. Bongo, 59, was hospitalized in October in Saudi Arabia after a stroke. He has been in Morocco since November to continue treatment. </s> LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Gabon's prosecutor general says the arrested coup plotters face life imprisonment under Gabon's penal code.

Olivier N'Zahou said late Wednesday that six individuals staged the coup attempt, including a gendarme who was on duty at the station and was convinced to join the movement at the time of the attempt. Another Republican Guard member joined them as well. He said two were killed and the other four arrested.

This amends earlier statements this week saying that eight were arrested.

N'Zahou said despite attempts for a peaceful surrender, the military officers who tried to take power fired on security forces. The officers on Monday had encouraged youths to help them "restore democracy" in the oil-rich country.

Gabon's ruling party said ailing President Ali Bongo Ondimba will return to the country soon.
Gabon's president Ali Bongo Ondimba names Julien Nkoghe Bekale as the country's new prime minister after a failed coup that happened five days ago.