GABON’S ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba has been released from house arrest and flown to Angola with his wife and son, following months of detention after his removal in an August 2023 coup. The move was confirmed by the Angolan presidency on Friday.
‘The Bongo family has been released and has just arrived in Luanda,’ said a statement posted to the Angolan presidency’s official Facebook page, accompanied by photos of Bongo’s arrival at Luanda airport.
Bongo had been held in Libreville since being deposed by General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, ending his family’s 55-year hold on power. His wife Sylvia, 62, and son Noureddin, 33, were also detained on embezzlement charges.
Family still faces trial
Gabonese prosecutor Eddy Minang said the release of Bongo’s wife and son was provisional, and legal proceedings would continue.
‘Their release does not in any way interrupt the normal course of the proceedings,’ Minang stated, adding that the case would proceed toward a fair and transparent trial.
Lawyers for the family claim they were mistreated in custody, and local media had reported their transfer from cells to a residence in Libreville prior to departure.
Diplomacy behind the scenes
The Bongo family’s release follows private talks between Angolan President João Lourenço and Gabonese leader Oligui Nguema. While no details were disclosed, the development comes just weeks after Gabon was readmitted to the African Union, which Lourenço currently chairs.
The AU had suspended Gabon after the military takeover. On April 30, it lifted sanctions, citing progress in the country’s transition process.
Opposition backlash
Opposition figures have denounced the move. Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, a former prime minister under Bongo, accused the junta of bowing to international pressure.
‘This is not clemency—it’s a political trade-off after an abuse of power,’ he said.
Transitional MP Geoffroy Foumboula Libeka called the quiet overnight transfer of the family a ‘disgrace’, questioning whether Gabon had traded its sovereignty for regional acceptance.
Bongo’s controversial rule ends in exile
Ali Bongo came to power in 2009, succeeding his father Omar Bongo, who ruled for over four decades. His presidency was plagued by corruption allegations, economic inequality, and questions over his health, especially after a 2018 stroke.
He was declared the winner of a disputed 2023 election, a result the military and opposition rejected. Hours later, soldiers seized power, citing electoral fraud and public frustration.
Despite vast oil wealth, Gabon has faced high unemployment, infrastructure breakdowns, and heavy debt, fuelling discontent with the Bongo dynasty.
