João Lourenço, who is on a visit to the Republic of Gabon for a few hours, was speaking after a private meeting with his Gabonese counterpart, Brice Nguema, winner of the presidential elections held in April with 94.8 percent of the votes.
“I would like to highlight the fact that the President of the Republic has committed to holding democratic elections in his country, which actually took place within the promised timeframe, which is to be commended,” he stressed.
According to the head of state, “several groups of observers were unanimous in considering that the elections were free and democratic” and that the Gabonese people “had the freedom to express their will at the polls, with a minimum of abstentions on election day, which is also to be commended.”
“The elections here in Gabon were a good example for other countries on our continent to follow, which is why we instructed the African Union Commission, through the Peace and Security Council, to lift all types of sanctions and impediments that weighed on the Republic of Gabon,” he stressed.
Brice Oligui Nguema has led the Gabonese military junta since the 2023 coup d'état, winning the presidential elections held on 12 April this year.
The head of state called on the Gabonese authorities to “dedicate themselves above all to the economic and social development of the country for the benefit of its citizens”.
João Lourenço expressed Angola's support, as a sister country, within the framework of the bilateral relations they maintain, as well as at the level of the African Union.
According to João Lourenço, at a bilateral level, it was concluded that it was necessary to hold “as soon as possible the meeting of the bilateral Joint Commission, which this time, in principle, will take place in Angola”, inviting his Gabonese counterpart to make an official visit to the country.
“Rest assured in our desire to deepen the bonds of friendship and economic cooperation between Angola and Gabon”, he stated, taking the opportunity to thank his Gabonese counterpart for “the gesture” of pardoning Angolan citizens who were serving sentences in Gabon.
“We will try to send the appropriate means to take them back to their families”, added João Lourenço.
In turn, Brice Nguema thanked João Lourenço for his efforts to ensure that Gabon could once again have its place in the African Union, also highlighting the good relations between the two countries, within the regional framework and within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
“In economic terms, my wish is for us to develop further relations, given that Angola has great potential, especially in the area of hydrocarbons,” said Brice Nguema, congratulating the excellent cooperation and the quality of the good relations that exist between the two countries, which could be strengthened by his visit to Angola.
Brice Oligui Nguema led the coup that ousted his cousin, Ali Bongo, on 30 August 2023, the same day that the official results of that year’s presidential elections were announced, due to the manipulation and lack of credibility of the vote.
Before meeting with his counterpart, the President also held a courtesy meeting with former President Ali Bongo, who governed Gabon between 2009 and 2023.
