The presidential election Saturday in Gabon came as the central African country was "at a decisive turning point and has the opportunity to put in place solid institutions," a senior United Nations official has said.

LIBREVILLE, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The presidential election Saturday in Gabon came as the central African country was "at a decisive turning point and has the opportunity to put in place solid institutions," a senior United Nations official has said.

The election was "a crucial step as it will help bring the country back to constitutional order," Abdou Abarry, special representative of the UN secretary-general for Central Africa and head of the regional UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, on the eve of the polls.

On Sunday, Gabon's Interior Ministry announced that transitional leader Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema won the election, securing 90.35 percent of the total votes cast.

Nguema has served as Gabon's interim president since leading a 2023 coup that ousted former President Ali Bongo Ondimba.

A REGION LEARNING FROM ITSELF

Reflecting on transitions elsewhere in the region, Abarry highlighted the parallels between Gabon's process and that of Chad. The latter successfully concluded its post-crisis roadmap with senatorial elections earlier in 2025, following the death of President Idriss Deby Itno in April 2021.

Abarry congratulated the Chadian authorities for meeting their commitments despite significant challenges, including the impact of the crisis in neighboring Sudan.

He noted that, like Gabon's, Chad's transition had been relatively brief. "This transition, like that of Gabon, was not long, although in this matter, many observers believe there is no ideal duration."

Abarry said that more important was the fact that countries undergoing such processes act in full sovereignty, in accordance with their own political, social, cultural, and institutional contexts.

He underlined the importance of regional and international cooperation in supporting democratic transitions, citing coordination between actors such as the Economic Community of Central African States, the African Union, and the United Nations in their crucial role in accompanying Gabon's electoral process.

A CONTINENT SEEKING PEACE

Looking beyond Gabon, Abarry's outlook for Central Africa remains cautious yet hopeful.

He highlighted the deep-rooted causes of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where conflicts involving armed groups, including the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, have displaced millions.

"The current crisis in eastern DRC is part of a long-standing pattern of conflict, fueled by ethnic tensions, political rivalries, weak governance, and the struggle to control the region's abundant natural resources," Abarry said.

He stressed that a political resolution remains the only viable path forward, and ongoing regional peace efforts, such as the Luanda and Nairobi processes, present genuine opportunities for durable peace.

Abarry called for enhanced cooperation between the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, and neighboring states to promote inclusive dialogue and de-escalation.

This, he said, should include stronger regional coordination mechanisms and joint diplomatic initiatives.

"For the United Nations, peaceful resolution is the only path to ending conflict," he said.

Abarry said the UN system has been actively coordinating efforts to help end the conflict in the DRC with the guiding principle of respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"There is an urgent need to silence the guns and stop the escalation of violence to prevent the regionalization of the conflict and the worsening of the humanitarian crisis," he said.

"ENDOGENOUS INITIATIVES"

Abarry acknowledged the challenge of keeping African crises visible on the international agenda, particularly amid competing global emergencies.

"It is difficult to capture the attention of the international community given the many crises today, especially since the stakes and interests are not the same," he said.

"One way to do this is to speak with one voice," Abarry said. "The other is to give voice to those directly affected by conflict."

He called for greater international recognition of the broader transformation underway across the African continent.

In his view, Africa's growing assertiveness on the global stage does not reflect a retreat from engagement, but rather a desire to build more equitable and respectful partnerships with the rest of the world.

He emphasized that the fundamental aspirations of people in the Global South, like those in the North, remain universal in nature: peace, security, dignity, and the pursuit of socioeconomic and cultural fulfillment.

Limiting the global narrative about Africa to its challenges alone is reductive and misleading, Abarry said.

Instead, more attention should be paid to "endogenous initiatives, local innovations, and African solutions" that are actively emerging in response to today's most pressing issues.

"This evolution does not reflect a retreat, but a desire to co-construct more balanced partnerships, where African priorities are fully considered, in respect of local specificities," Abarry said.