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Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba is under house arrest surrounded by his family and doctors. The report indicates that one of his sons has been arrested for high treason. The military officials are said to be behind the coup, though confusing reports are coming from the west African country, supposed to be a stable democracy.
Gabon’s President Ali Bongo Ondimba is under house arrest surrounded by his family and doctors. The report indicates that one of his sons has been arrested for high treason. The military officials are said to be behind the coup, though confusing reports are coming from the West African country, supposed to be a stable democracy. Gabon is one of Africa’s major oil producers, while nearly 90% of the country is covered by forests. It joined the Commonwealth in June 2022, becoming one of its few members not to have been a British colony.
Noureddin Bongo Valentin, son and close adviser to the head of state, Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, Mr. Bongo’s chief of staff, Mohamed Ali Saliou, his deputy chief of staff, Abdul Hosseini, another presidential adviser, Jessye Ella Ekogha, special adviser and presidential spokesman, as well as the number one and two members of Mr. Bongo’s all-powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) are under arrest. A military official read out the communiqué during the night announcing that the military was putting an end to the regime.
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They have been arrested for high treason against the institutions of the State, massive misappropriation of public funds, organized international financial embezzlement, forgery, falsification of the signature of the President of the Republic, active corruption, and drug trafficking, the communique further explained.
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French PM Elizabeth Borne said her country was closely following the situation as she spoke to French ambassadors gathered in Paris. A group of military officers appeared on television early announcing they were scrapping official election results that had handed another term to veteran President Ali Bongo Ondimba. The EU top diplomat said that reports coming out from Gabon are confusing. If this was confirmed then this was another military coup which increased instability in the whole region, he added.
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Ali Bongo was first elected in 2009 following the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled the country for 41 years. Unlike Niger and two other West African countries run by military juntas, Gabon hasn’t been wrecked by jihadi violence and has been seen as relatively stable. This new turn of events could prompt the EU to come up with a new Africa strategy.
President Bongo suffered a stroke in 2018 and spent over 9 months recovering. During his recovery abroad, a coup attempt failed.
In the meantime, photos and videos of crowds cheering as soldiers pass by in the Gabonese capital Libreville, hours after military officers announced overturning the government in Gabon, have emerged online and on social media. President Ali Bongo Ondimba who has been in power for 14 years and whose re-election for a third term had been announced recently. The Gabonese Electoral Commission (CGE) head Michel Stephane Bonda said Bongo’s primary challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, had come in second place with 30.77%. Ondo, citing irregularities, claimed victory and called on Ali Bongo to concede defeat. Gabon has been ruled by the same family – The Bongos – for more than 55 out of its 63 years since its independence from France in 1960.
