Former Gabon leader Ali Bongo Ondimba and his family have been released from detention and arrived in Angola’s capital as confirmed by the Angolan presidency on May 16, 2025.
Bongo was ousted in a 2023 military coup and placed under arrest.
The former leader, whose family has ruled Gabon for over 55 years, won a third term in the country’s presidential elections.
Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon then announced they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power since 2009, had been declared victor.
Reasons for arrest of the former Gabon President
Bongo was placed under house arrest, and one of his sons was arrested for treason, according to coup leaders.
In a series of events, a group of officers declared all the institutions of the republic dissolved, election results cancelled, and borders closed.
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His wife, Sylvia Bongo, and son, Noureddin Bongo, had been in custody since the coup on charges including embezzlement.
The family members were then transferred from prison to house arrest in early May 2025 following calls for their release by African Union officials.
Appeals for release of former Ali Bongo
In April 2025, African Union officials called for the release of the Bongos’ family, including the wife. Sylvia Bongo,62, and son Noureddin, 33.
Several Gabonese media reported that they had been moved from cells in an annex of the presidency to a residence in Libreville.
Their freedom came after negotiations between the African Union officials with the Angolan presidency leading the discussions.
Angolan president message
A statement on the Angolan presidency’s Facebook page announcing the arrival of the Bongo family in Luanda was accompanied by photographs showing the former leader being welcomed at an airport.
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This followed contacts between Angola President João Lourenço and Gabon’s new leader, Brice Oligui Nguema, it said, without giving details.
“Following the initiatives made by the President of the Republic of Angola and President-in-Office of the African Union, Joao Lourenco, with President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon, the Bongo family has been released and has just arrived in Luanda,” he said.
Nguema, a former junta leader, took power in a coup in August 2023 that ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo dynasty and was sworn in early May.
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