Following the military coup that toppled his presidency, ousted Gabonese President Ali Bongo has released a video message in which he acknowledges his arrest and pleads with his “friends” to raise awareness about the situation. The video, obtained by ChroniclesReporters, depicts Bongo seated and speaking calmly.
He reveals that he has been apprehended, and he discloses that his son is in a separate location while his wife is being held elsewhere. In his plea, Bongo calls for international attention and assistance, stating, “I’m sending a message to all the friends that we have all over the world to tell them to make noise, for the people here have arrested me and my family.”
He continues, “My son is somewhere; my wife is in another place and I’m at the residence. Right now, I’m at the residence and nothing is happening. I don’t know what’s going on so I’m calling you to make noise, to make noise, to make noise really. I’m thanking you…”
Born as Alain Bernard Bongo on February 9, 1959, in Congo-Brazzaville, the 64-year-old Ali Bongo assumed the presidency of Gabon in 2009 following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled the country for nearly 42 years since 1967.
The military leaders behind the coup have taken into custody not only Ali Bongo but also his son and close advisor Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, as well as his deputy, two other presidential advisers, and the top officials in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). These individuals face charges of treason, embezzlement, corruption, and forgery of the president’s signature, among other allegations.
In response to the situation, China has urged the guarantee of Bongo’s safety, while former colonial power France has expressed its vigilant observation of developments in Gabon “with the greatest attention.”