Gabon | Ali Bongo sworn-in as President

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.

Was dismissive

Government spokesman Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze said President Bongo wanted to install “a unity government by this week or the start of next week”.

President Bongo’s second mandate has received a cool reception from the African Union and the United Nations, while the European Union voiced regret that the count had not been transparent.

The Gabonese spokesman was dismissive of former colonial ruler France — which sent its ambassador to the event.

“Whether they come or not doesn’t change anything. France has no diplomacy any more. It’s getting its orders from Brussels,” he said.

Vote fraud

President Bongo’s wafer-thin victory in the August 27 vote was confirmed on Saturday by the country’s top court, which dismissed opposition claims of vote fraud.

Mr Jean Ping, 73, who came second in the vote, lashed the court’s ruling as a miscarriage of justice and declared himself “president elect”.

He has so far not responded to President Bongo’s overtures for a dialogue.

People were killed

A career diplomat and a former top official at the African Union, Ping had filed a legal challenge after President Bongo was declared the winner by a mere 6,000 votes.

Violence initially erupted on August 31 after President Bongo was first declared the winner. Demonstrators set parliament ablaze and clashed with police, who made a thousand arrests.

Opposition figures say more than 50 people were killed. The government has given a toll of three dead.