
Ali Bongo was sworn-in Tuesday as Gabon’s president after the country’s top court controversially validated his fiercely contested election win, taking his family’s reign over the oil-rich country into a fifth decade.
“I pledge to devote all my efforts for the good of the Gabonese people and to ensure their well-being… and respect and defend the constitution and the rule of law,” the 57-year-old said.
Cannons were fired during the ceremony in the seafront presidential palace in Libreville, as fears of fresh violence resurfaced.
The event was attended by a handful of African leaders including the presidents of Mali, Niger, Togo and Sao Tome — as well as the prime ministers of Chad, Senegal, the Central African Republic and Morocco — but most regional and continental heavyweights stayed away.
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