Former First Family of Gabon 'Turns Page, Heals' After Release
Former president Ali Bongo and his family have arrived in Luanda, the Angolan capital, after they were released by the Gabonese authorities.
Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo - the former president's wife and son - were detained in 2023 after the coup that toppled Bongo.
The former president was kept under house arrest, although the authorities said he was free to move about.
Following the election of coup leader Brice Oligui Nguema as the country's new president earlier this month, African Union (AU) leaders reportedly stepped up diplomatic efforts to secure the family's release.
''Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo will now finally be able to turn the page, heal and rebuild their lives," their family lawyer said after their departure from Gabon.
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Gabon:
Hostages Freed by Coup Leaders in Gabon After 20 Months
Zimeray & Finelle Avocats, 19 May 2025
Former Gabonese president Ali Bongo's wife, Sylvia, and son, Noureddi, flew with him to Luanda, Angola, last night after the family were released by coup leaders Family's release… Read more »
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Gabon:
A Hopeful Gabon Looks to the Future
ISS, 8 May 2025
Gabonese voters have given President Nguema a strong mandate to break with the country's past and steer economic and political renewal. Read more »
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Gabon:
Who Are the Candidates in Gabon's Post-Coup Presidential Election?
RFI, 11 April 2025
In Gabon, the electoral campaign is in full swing ahead of the presidential election on 12 April, with eight candidates in the running. Who are these seven men and one woman? Read more »
Nourredin Bongo, Sylvia Bongo and Ali Bongo.
InFocus
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Gabon's military leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, won the presidential election with over 90% of the vote, according to provisional results.
The 2023 coup leader, who ousted the Bongo family's near-60-year rule, solidified his power after critics said the electoral process favored him, with key opposition figures barred from running.
However, complaints of irregularities emerged, including
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Markets have responded positively to announcement by Gabon's transitional government that presidential election will take place on April 12, 2025, which will mark a return to civilian rule. The military, led by current transitional president General Brice Oligui Nguem, overthrew former president Ali Bongo in 2023 following a
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Gabonese voters approved the new Constitution proposed by the country's military rulers.
The proposed new Constitution sets out a vision of a presidency with a maximum of two terms but increases the length from five to seven years. It also abolishes the post of prime minister and stops family members from succeeding a president. Presidential candidates would have to be exclusively Gabonese - with at least one
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