Alleged Biafran, 5 Other Interesting Facts About 'Ousted' Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba

Libreville, Gabon - Yet another military coup has been recorded in Africa. If confirmed, this would be the eighth coup in former French colonies in Africa in the past three years.

Many woke up on Wednesday, August 30, to the news of the ouster of the democratically-elected president of Gabon, Ali Bongo.

A group of army officers in the central African nation announced that they had overthrown Bongo.

Who is Bongo? YEN.com.gh writes on the ‘deposed’ African leader.

1) Ali Bongo: Muslim convert

Bongo was originally born Alain Bernard. He became Ali and his father Omar (formerly Albert-Bernard Bongo) in 1973, after converting to Islam - the only members of their family to do so.

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2) Ali Bongo: Succeeded his father in 2009

During his father's (Omar Bongo) presidency, he was minister of foreign affairs from 1989 to 1991. He represented Bongoville as a deputy in the national assembly from 1991 to 1999, and was minister of defence from 1999 to 2009.

After his father's death, he won the 2009 Gabonese presidential election.

3) Ali Bongo: Suffered a stroke in 2018

Bongo suffered a stroke in December 2018 which led to his hospitalisation. The stroke sidelines Bongo for 10 months.

On his return, Bongo re-engineered his image, promoting himself as a man of rigour, bent on rooting out “traitors” in his inner circle.

4) Ali Bongo: Survived a coup attempt

In January 2019, there was an attempted coup – a mysterious affair involving a small number of soldiers that quickly fizzled out.

The mutinying soldiers were subsequently sent to prison.

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5) Ali Bongo: Controversial heritage

His birth was controversial.

French investigative journalist and author of many books concerned with political scandals, Pierre Péan, said that Bongo is actually Nigerian, and was adopted during the 1967-70 Biafran war. The ‘ousted’ president has always denied the rumours.

François Gaulme, a French historian and author on Gabonese politics, told the BBC:

"He wasn't born in the presidential palace, but almost. He was about eight when his father became president.

"The fact that he went to the best schools in Libreville and didn't learn local languages was something he would get criticised for later on."

6) Ali Bongo's spouse, family

Bongo is married to French-born Sylvia.

He has four children—one daughter, Malika Bongo Ondimba, and three sons, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, Jalil Bongo Ondimba and Bilal Bongo—whom he and Sylvia adopted in 2002.

In 1994 Ali Bongo married his second wife, American Inge Lynn Collins Bongo, from Los Angeles, California. She later filed for divorce in 2015.

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Army takes over power in Gabon

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the military staged a coup in another African country, Gabon, as army officers appeared on national television and announced the takeover from the democratic government.

According to The BBC, the coup leader annulled the outcome of Saturday's election, where the incumbent President, Ali Bongo, was declared re-elected and winner of the poll.

Source: Legit.ng