Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang, the officer who led a failed coup against former President Ali Bongo in January 2019, has been released after six years in detention.
The move came on Saturday, coinciding with the second anniversary of the military takeover by General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, now President of Gabon.
Ondo’s release follows an amnesty law adopted earlier this month, which pardons all coup leaders. Dressed in white as he left Libreville’s central prison, he thanked his supporters and paid tribute to his comrades who were killed in 2019.
The timing of the release has raised eyebrows, with analysts describing it as a calculated political move.
The Oligui Nguema administration has sought to redefine the memory of coups d’état, presenting them as part of a national liberation struggle.
By aligning Ondo’s release with the anniversary of its own 2023 takeover, the government aims to position the military as the cornerstone of Gabon’s sovereignty.
August 30, the date of Ali Bongo’s ousting, is now recognised as a national holiday known as “Liberation Day,” complete with paid leave and military parades.
On Saturday, a grand parade was held in Tchibanga, where President Oligui Nguema reaffirmed the army’s role as the guarantor of the state.
Government spokesperson Laurence Ndong hailed the developments as a sign of progress, citing a new Constitution, peaceful presidential elections, road infrastructure projects, social housing initiatives and the creation of a national airline.
“The country is under construction. A wind of freedom is blowing,” she said.
However, opposition figures remain sceptical. Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, former Prime Minister and runner-up in the last presidential election, criticised the move, arguing: “Two years after his coup, the system he claimed to overthrow is still in place. Only Ali Bongo and his family have disappeared from the scene. The promise to restore the institutions has not borne fruit.”
For critics, the release of Kelly Ondo and the “liberation celebration” mask enduring political, institutional and economic challenges. Despite promises of reform, they argue that Gabon remains bound by authoritarian practices, even as it projects an image of renewal.
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