In a shocking turn of events, President Ali Bongo of Gabon has been placed under house arrest by a group of coup plotters, as revealed in a statement broadcast on state television by the Comité de Transition et de Restauration des Institutions (CTRI), the military authority behind the seizure of power.
The statement read by a military colonel announced that President Ali Bongo is currently confined to his residence, surrounded by his family and medical professionals. The military takeover, led by the CTRI, has brought the former president’s rule to an abrupt halt.
Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the son of the ousted president and a key advisor to him, has also been apprehended along with several other high-ranking officials.
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Among those detained are Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, Mr. Bongo’s chief of staff; Mohamed Ali Saliou, the deputy chief of staff; Abdul Hosseini, a presidential adviser; Jessye Ella Ekogha, a special adviser and presidential spokesman; and the top two members of Mr. Bongo’s influential Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG).
The military colonel went on to state that the detainees have been arrested on grave charges, including “high treason against the institutions of the State, massive misappropriation of public funds, organized international financial embezzlement, forgery, falsification of the signature of the President of the Republic, active corruption, and drug trafficking.”
These allegations paint a damning picture of the former president and his inner circle, suggesting a widespread misuse of power and resources.
The coup plotters have proclaimed an end to the Bongo regime, signaling a significant shift in Gabonese politics and governance. As the nation watches these developments unfold, the detained individuals await their fate while the international community closely monitors the situation, with concerns about the stability and future of Gabon growing more pronounced by the day.
