VIDEO: Ousted Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Cries Out Over His Arrest, Detention Of Wife And Son, Asks ‘Friends’ To Help, ‘Make Noise’
Ousted Gabonese President Ali Bongo has called on his “friends” to “make noise” after military officers in the oil-rich central African state staged a coup that deposed him.
In a video, the president, who was seated, said he had been arrested.
He said his son was in another location while his wife was “in another place”.
He said: “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.
“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 Alain Bernard Bongo on February 9, 1959, in Congo-Brazzaville, the 64-year-old became Gabon’s president in 2009 when his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon for almost 42 years, from 1967 died.
Omar Bongo died in Spain on June 8, 2009, after having suffered from colorectal cancer. His death was followed by a month of mourning and a state funeral, spanning June 11 to 18.
The military leaders in the country said Bongo’s son and close adviser Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou as well as his deputy, two other presidential advisers and the two top officials in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) had been arrested.
They have been accused of treason, embezzlement, corruption and falsifying the president’s signature, among other allegations.
China has called for Bongo’s safety to be guaranteed, while former colonial power France has said it is watching developments in Gabon “with the greatest attention”.
