![Gabon's former president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, makes a statement after his country's military seized power on August 30, 2023 [File: Video obtained by Reuters]](https://titapost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ali-Bongo-1.webp)
In a significant development following the military coup in Gabon last month, the country’s former president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been released from house arrest and granted permission to leave the country for medical treatment, according to the military that removed him from power.
Bongo, who had been under house arrest since the military coup on August 30, was ousted from power shortly after being declared the winner of highly criticized elections that would have extended his 14-year rule as president.
Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi, Gabon’s military spokesman, announced Bongo’s release from house arrest in a statement read on national television on Wednesday evening. The statement, signed by General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Gabon’s new head of state who was sworn in on Monday, stated that Bongo is free to move about and can travel abroad for medical checkups if he wishes.
General Oligui, a cousin of Bongo, previously served as a bodyguard to Bongo’s late father and headed the country’s republican guard, an elite military unit.
Bongo, who suffered a stroke five years ago, has been unable to access his own doctors during his house arrest. This development now provides him with the option to seek medical treatment outside of Gabon.
During his inauguration at the presidential palace on Monday, General Oligui emphasized that the military had taken control of the country without violence and pledged to return power to the people by organizing credible and free elections.
While the coup has been met with support from some members of the Gabonese public, it has drawn condemnation from the African Union and the international community.
The situation in Gabon remains fluid, and the international community continues to closely monitor developments in the country. Efforts to restore stability and ensure a peaceful transition of power are ongoing, with the focus now shifting towards organizing transparent and inclusive elections that reflect the will of the Gabonese people.