Gabonese Republican Guard

The Gabonese Republican Guard (French: Garde républicaine de gabonaises) is an independent military formation in the Republic of Gabon that is responsible for protection of government officials and buildings. It is the most powerful security unit in Gabon and is responsible for ensuring internal security. It is a directly reporting unit of the National Gendarmerie.^[1]

Republican Guard
Garde républicaine
Active	1960
Country	Gabon
Agency	National Gendarmerie of Gabon
Type	Republican guard
Role	Protection of government officials and installations
Headquarters	Libreville
Structure
Personnel	2,500
Commanders
Current commander	Brice Oligui Nguema

Description

The Republican Guard was organized as the Presidential Guard from 1960 to 1995. President Omar Bongo recruited members of the Presidential Guard from his own Bateke ethnic group. The Presidential Guard is committed daily some 750 people for security missions and 150 for missions normal. Since the death of Bongo in June 2009, the Republican Guard began to maintain a regular presence at every major intersection in Libreville and Bord de Mer, with French advisors being present at the larger intersections.^[2] It has close contact in the United States Africa Command East Africa Response Force.^[3]

In late 2015, the Republican Guard acquired a Gulfstream G650 for VIP transport.^[4]

Coup attempt

In 2019, the Republican Guard was at the center of a coup attempt to oust President Ali Bongo's government. Military officers led by Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang^[5] announced that they had ousted President Bongo.^[6] It deployed armoured vehicles such as Nexter Aravis MRAPs throughout the capital.

The coup was put down by 10:30 am after the Gendarmerie Intervention Group assaulted the Radio Télévision Gabonaise, which was the headquarters of the pro-coup forces.^[7]

Structure

The Republican Guard has the following structure:^[2]

• Cabinet Com Chef
• Administrative and Financial Services Department
• B1
• B3
• B4
• Directorate General of Special Services
• Logistics Department
• Auto Technical Service
• Regular
• Directorate of Military Health
• Parachute Intervention Group
• Presidential Aerial Group
• Armored Intervention Group
• Material Service
• Fire Section
• Nautical Section
• Libreville Instruction Center
• Signal Service
• 1st Company
• 2nd Company
• 3rd Company
• 4th Company
• Franceville Detachment
• Leconi Detachment
• Close Security Company
• Barracks
• Military Band
• General Corps Service
• Special Response Service

Commanders

• Colonel Brice Oligui Nguema (3 March 2020 – present)^[8]

See also

• Ivorian Republican Guard
• Republican Guard (Central African Republic)
• Republican Guard (Guinea)

Sources

1. "Gabon, une "garde républicaine" préposée aux basses oeuvres - Mondafrique". Archived from the original on 2019-01-05. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
2. "Gabon - Republican Guard / Garde Républicaine". www.globalsecurity.org.
3. "East Africa Response Force support potential unrest near Congo". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
4. "Scramble". www.scramble.nl. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
5. "Who was the 'honest' soldier who led Gabon's failed coup?". RFI. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
6. "Gabon officers 'oust President Ali Bongo'". BBC News. BBC. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
7. "Gabon's Republican Guard uses Aravis vehicles in counter-coup operation". Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
8. "Gabon: Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema nommé commandant en chef de la GR". April 3, 2020. Archived from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2020.