The Gabonese Republican Guard (french: Garde républicaine de gabonaises) is an independent military formation in the

Republic of Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, ...

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.

Description

The Republican Guard was organized as the Presidential Guard from 1960 to 1995. President

Omar Bongo El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo; 30 December 1935 – 8 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who was the second President of Gabon for 42 years, from 1967 until his death in 2009. Omar Bongo was promoted to key positions as ...

recruited members of his own ethnic group to the Presidential Guard. The GR 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. It has close contact in the

United States Africa Command The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U. ...

East Africa Response Force. In late 2015, the Republican Guard acquired a

Gulfstream G650 The Gulfstream G650 is a large business jet produced by Gulfstream Aerospace.

for

VIP A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots. Examples incl ...

transport.

Coup attempt

In 2019, the Republican Guard was at the center of a coup d'état attempt to oust President Ali Bongo's government. Military officers led by Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang announced that they had ousted President Bongo. It deployed armoured vehicles such as

Nexter Aravis The Aravis is an infantry mobility vehicle developed and built by French company Nexter. An order for 15 Aravis vehicles was placed by the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement in April 2009 for use by the French Army as a reconnaissance and e ...

MRAPs throughout the capital. The coup was put down by 10:30 am after the Gendarmerie Intervention Group assaulted the

Radio Télévision Gabonaise Radio Télévision Gabonaise (RTG) is the national broadcaster of the Central African state of Gabon. Radio Télévision Gabonaise is headquartered in Gabon's capital city, Libreville. It was established in 28 November 1959 with the start of Radi ...

, which was the headquarters of the pro-coup forces.

Structure

The Republican Guard has the following structure: * 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 Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...

Instruction Center * Signal Service * 1st Company * 2nd Company * 3rd Company * 4th Company *

Franceville Franceville is one of the four largest cities in Gabon, with a population of 110,568 at the 2013 census. It lies on the Mpassa River and at the end of the Trans-Gabon Railway and the N3 road. It grew from a village named Masuku when Pierre Savor ...

Detachment * Leconi Detachment * Close Security Company * Barracks *

Military Band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...

* General Corps Service * Special Response Service

Commanders

*Colonel Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (3 March 2020–Present)

Sources

{{reflist Military of Gabon Military units and formations established in 1960 1960 establishments in Gabon

Description

Coup attempt

Structure

Commanders

See also

Sources