President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has officially appointed Brigadier General Antoine Balekidra as the new commander of Gabon’s Republican Guard, GR, confirming the officer who had been serving in the role on an interim basis since September 2023.
The appointment was made during a ceremony held on Wednesday, May 14, in line with the decision taken at the first Cabinet meeting of the Fifth Republic on May 8. It reflects a strategy of continuity and institutional stabilization within the military following the change of regime.
The Republican Guard, an elite force tasked with ensuring the security of the Presidency and high-level state institutions, plays a crucial role in maintaining the country’s political and military balance.
General Balekidra’s confirmation signals the regime’s confidence in his leadership during a sensitive transitional period.
A native of Haut-Ogooué province, Balekidra is known for his international military training, having graduated from an advanced artillery course in China, where he also earned a senior military studies diploma. His technical expertise and strategic leadership have been widely acknowledged within the Gabonese armed forces.
President Oligui Nguema, who was elected on April 12, 2025, in the first round of voting, is seen as reinforcing the military hierarchy established since the ousting of the Bongo regime.
According to Gabon Media Time, Balekidra’s appointment reflects his key role in securing the country’s political transition and underscores the administration’s desire to ensure stability within the elite presidential security unit.
This move further consolidates the president’s control over strategic security institutions in the early phase of the Fifth Republic.
AC/sf/lb/gik/APA