On Wednesday, mutinous soldiers in Gabon took a decisive step by proclaiming the chief of the republican guard, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, as the nation’s leader.

This development transpired after they placed President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had recently been reelected, under house arrest.

The soldiers alleged that President Bongo Ondimba had engaged in betrayal and extensive embezzlement during his lengthy tenure governing the oil-rich Central African nation, the Associated Press reported.

Through an announcement broadcast on Gabon’s state TV, the coup leaders disclosed that Gen. Oligui had been unanimously chosen to head a transitional committee responsible for guiding the country.

Notably, Gen. Oligui is a relative of Bongo, who, on the same day, was officially declared the winner of the latest presidential election in Gabon.

This election marked the continuation of a dynasty that had ruled for 55 years, spanning Bongo’s tenure and that of his late father.

While detained in his residence, Bongo addressed the public through a video, urging them to vocally support him.

However, the populace who took to the streets of the capital instead celebrated the coup, considering it a repudiation of a dynasty accused of amassing wealth from the nation’s resources while many of its citizens struggled.

Written by staff