Gabon’s former President Ali Bongo has left the country for Angola after spending two years in detention following his overthrow in a coup in 2023. The Angolan presidency confirmed Bongo’s arrival, stating that he is accompanied by his family, including wife Sylvia and son Noureddin, who were also recently released after facing corruption allegations.
Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo were imprisoned last year amid accusations of embezzling public funds, money laundering, and document falsification. While no formal comment has been made by the Bongo family regarding these allegations, Sylvia’s lawyer described her detention as arbitrary and illegal. Gabonese prosecutor Eddy Minang, however, cautioned that the family’s release is provisional due to health issues, and legal proceedings are ongoing.
This diplomatic maneuver follows a visit from Angolan President João Lourenço to Libreville, where he engaged with Brice Oligui Nguema, the new leader of Gabon who succeeded Bongo after a landslide election victory. In contrast, opposition leader Alain Claude Bilie-by-Nze suggested that President Nguema capitulated to international pressure regarding the Bongo family's government abuses.
Bongo, who had maintained control over Gabon for 14 years, during which time he faced numerous allegations of corruption and human rights abuses, has been vocal about the treatment his family endured while in detention. Allegations against them paint a picture of widespread corruption amid a backdrop of poverty, with a third of Gabon’s population living under the poverty line, despite the nation’s oil wealth.
In a display of shifting ties, the African Union recently reinstated Gabon’s membership after suspending it following last year’s coup, with hopes that Gabon’s situation will serve as a model for restoring constitutional governance across Africa. Meanwhile, other military-led governments in West Africa remain defiant against relinquishing power to civilian rule.
Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo were imprisoned last year amid accusations of embezzling public funds, money laundering, and document falsification. While no formal comment has been made by the Bongo family regarding these allegations, Sylvia’s lawyer described her detention as arbitrary and illegal. Gabonese prosecutor Eddy Minang, however, cautioned that the family’s release is provisional due to health issues, and legal proceedings are ongoing.
This diplomatic maneuver follows a visit from Angolan President João Lourenço to Libreville, where he engaged with Brice Oligui Nguema, the new leader of Gabon who succeeded Bongo after a landslide election victory. In contrast, opposition leader Alain Claude Bilie-by-Nze suggested that President Nguema capitulated to international pressure regarding the Bongo family's government abuses.
Bongo, who had maintained control over Gabon for 14 years, during which time he faced numerous allegations of corruption and human rights abuses, has been vocal about the treatment his family endured while in detention. Allegations against them paint a picture of widespread corruption amid a backdrop of poverty, with a third of Gabon’s population living under the poverty line, despite the nation’s oil wealth.
In a display of shifting ties, the African Union recently reinstated Gabon’s membership after suspending it following last year’s coup, with hopes that Gabon’s situation will serve as a model for restoring constitutional governance across Africa. Meanwhile, other military-led governments in West Africa remain defiant against relinquishing power to civilian rule.
