Ousted African leader relocates to neighboring state
Ousted Gabonese President Ali Bongo and his family have been released from house arrest and have been flown to Angola, African Union (AU) Chairperson Joao Lourenco announced on Friday.
The move came days after Lourenço, who is Angola's president, visited the Central African country and held talks with its leader, Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the August 2023 military coup that removed Bongo.
'Following the demonstrations made by the President …of Angola and the President-in-charge of the African Union, Joao Lourenco, together with President Brice Oligui Nguema, from Gabon, the Bongo family has been released and has just arrived in Luanda,' Angola's presidency said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Bongo's wife, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, and son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, were transferred from prison to house arrest last week, after being detained for over a year on charges of embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering. They had been moved to the family residence in Gabon's capital, Libreville, where Bongo had been staying since his removal from office.
Local media earlier reported that the former first lady and her son were under judicial supervision and would be required to cooperate with local authorities pending their trial. Sylvia Bongo was formally detained in October 2023, months after the coup. Her lawyer previously described her detention as 'arbitrary' and 'illegal.'
The Bongo family has dominated Gabon's politics for over five decades. Ali Bongo came to power in 2009 following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled since 1967. Ali Bongo's presidency ended in August 2023 when General Nguema led a military takeover following a disputed election.
Authorities accused Sylvia Bongo of exploiting her husband's poor health – resulting from a 2018 stroke - and embezzling public funds with help from key officials. Both she and her son have denied the allegations.
The former president staged a hunger strike last year in protest over alleged mistreatment of his family in custody.
On April 30, the African Union adopted a resolution calling for the release of Bongo and his family, urging the former French colony's new leadership to uphold their rights and safety.
The Gabonese government has not officially commented on what local outlet Gabon Review described as a discreet release and evacuation of the Bongo family to neighboring Angola. President Brice Oligui Nguema – who won last month's election with a sweeping 90.35% of the vote – is also a cousin of Ali Bongo.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Russia and UN official discuss steps to end Sudan conflict
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin has met with the UN secretary-general's personal envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, to discuss ways to bring the armed conflict in Sudan to an end, the Foreign Ministry announced on Monday. During their discussions, both parties reportedly highlighted the urgency of ending the protracted conflict. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by fierce fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), with both factions vying for control amid a stalled transition to civilian rule. 'The need for coordinated efforts by the international community aimed at achieving a ceasefire and resuming an inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue involving all influential political forces and ethno-confessional groups in the country was emphasized,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that special attention was given to the dire humanitarian situation on the ground. 'The inadmissibility of destructive external interference in the Sudanese crisis has been reaffirmed,' the statement read. According to Reuters, citing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 4 million people have fled Sudan since the outbreak of the war. UNHCR spokesperson Eugene Byun told reporters in Geneva that the situation has reached a 'tragic milestone,' and warned that continued violence would drive thousands more into displacement, posing risks to regional and global stability. At the briefing, the UNHCR's Dossou Patrice Ahouansou highlighted the deteriorating conditions in neighboring Chad, where over 800,000 Sudanese refugees have sought shelter. He described the living conditions as 'appalling' due to severe underfunding, noting that only 14% of the required resources have been raised. Estimates of fatalities vary, though research from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests that over 61,000 people were killed in the state of Khartoum alone during the first 14 months of the conflict. Earlier this month, the UN reiterated its call for all parties in Sudan to uphold international humanitarian law.
Russia Today
10 hours ago
- Russia Today
Two African states win UN Security Council seats
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Liberia have secured seats in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as non-permanent members, following a vote at the General Assembly in New York. In a single round of balloting on Tuesday, the DR Congo received 183 votes and Liberia secured 181, both surpassing the required two-thirds majority in the 193-member assembly, according to a UN press release. The election filled five available non-permanent seats, with Bahrain (186 votes), Latvia (178 votes), and Colombia (180 votes) also elected to represent their respective regional groups. The two African countries are replacing Algeria and Sierra Leone, which have been serving since 2024. Along with the other elected counterparts, they will join the global security organization in January 2026 and serve until the end of 2027. The vote comes amid renewed calls for reform of the Security Council's structure to better reflect current global dynamics. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has advocated for the allocation of a permanent seat for Africa, arguing that the continent's longstanding underrepresentation is a 'historical injustice.' The 55-nation African Union has long sought permanent representation in the UNSC. In 2005, the bloc formed the C-10 group, whose primary mission is to present, advocate for, and rally support for the common African position on Security Council reforms. In an address delivered last August, Guterres stated that Africa's absence among permanent members undermines the UNSC's legitimacy, adding that the continent bears a disproportionate burden of the conflicts the council is tasked with addressing. Russia has voiced similar support, with President Vladimir Putin stating that a seat for the African Union would affirm its members' aspiration to be meaningfully represented in global decision-making. The Security Council, composed of 15 members, includes five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the US, and UK – and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The permanent members hold veto power over substantive resolutions, while the non-permanent members take part fully in deliberations and voting but do not have veto rights. The DR Congo is joining the Council at a time of intensified armed conflict in its eastern region, where clashes between national forces and the M23 rebel group have escalated since January. The militants have seized major cities, including Goma and Bukavu, reportedly killing thousands of people. In a report published on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said the rebels 'summarily executed' at least 21 civilians over a two-day period in February in Goma.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Bill Gates to spend his fortune ‘addressing challenges' in Africa
American billionaire Bill Gates has announced plans to spend the majority of his vast fortune over the next two decades to strengthen health and education systems across Africa, where some of his foundation's past initiatives have drawn criticism. The Microsoft founder made the commitment in an address at an event hosted at the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday, saying it is intended to help put every country on the continent on a 'path to prosperity.' 'I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa,' he said, noting that his wealth has reached a 'very high level.' The Gates Foundation said last month it will invest over $200 billion by 2045, the year it plans to conclude its operations. The funding will focus on expanding access to vaccines, improving maternal and child health, enhancing education – particularly for girls – and building digital infrastructure to support public health systems. Today, at the Inspiring Progress event in Ethiopia, our chair, @BillGates announced that we will spend the majority of our funding to benefit his speech from the AU summit: The pledge comes at a time of declining international aid to Africa, highlighted by US President Donald Trump's recent decision to cut more than 90% of USAID's foreign aid contracts. The US government's move has lead to the termination of numerous health and development projects worldwide. The Gates Foundation, one of the largest non-state contributors to the World Health Organization (WHO), has been involved in efforts to combat diseases such as malaria, HIV, and polio, alongside funding vaccine development and distribution programs. The non-profit agency has been embroiled in controversies over some of its initiatives, however. Advocacy groups have accused it of promoting genetically modified crops and industrial agriculture models that benefit large corporations and sideline smallholder farmers. Critics have also raised concerns about the foundation's significant influence in the global health sector – including its alleged sway within the WHO – citing a lack of accountability to prevent and address human rights violations linked to its programs. On Monday, Gates said his goal is to help Africa become a net food exporter by equipping farmers with improved seeds, tools, and data. The tech billionaire urged Africa's innovators to think about how to build Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve healthcare on the continent, saying his foundation aims to support top AI talent to ensure the technology benefits everyone—not just rich countries.
