Gabon's rebel-appointed leader and transitional president, Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema, said on Wednesday that the change of the government in the country was a liberation and not a coup.
"Here in Gabon, we call a liberation what you call a coup. The enthusiasm of the Gabonese people and the consolidation of all the driving forces of the nation are proof of this," Nguema told the Jeune Afrique magazine.
The interim leader also said the ouster of President Ali Bongo Ondimba was caused by the "chaotic" organization of the general election and its opaque results.
On August 30, Ondimba, the president of Gabon since 2009, was re-elected for a third term after securing 64.2% of the vote. The Gabonese military then ousted Ondimba in a coup, declaring the election results canceled and all institutions dissolved. The military has promised to gradually build transitional institutions, with Gabon fulfilling all its domestic and international obligations.