Ali Bongo

Ali Bongo
Bongo in 2022
3rd President of Gabon
In office
16 October 2009 – 30 August 2023
Prime MinisterPaul Biyoghé Mba
Raymond Ndong Sima
Daniel Ona Ondo
Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet
Julien Nkoghe Bekale
Rose Christiane Raponda
Alain Claude Bilie By Nze
Vice PresidentPierre-Claver Maganga Moussavou
Rose Christiane Raponda
Preceded byOmar Bongo
Succeeded byBrice Oligui Nguema (transitional)
Minister of Defense
In office
25 January 1999 – 15 August 2009
Succeeded byJean-François Ndongou
Deputy of the National Assembly of Gabon
In office
1990–2009
ConstituencyHaut-Ogooué Province
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
1989–1991
Preceded byMartin Bongo
Succeeded byPascaline Bongo Ondimba
Personal details
Born
Alain-Bernard Bongo

(1959-02-09) 9 February 1959 (age 65)
Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa (now Congo-Brazzaville)
Political partyPDG
SpouseSylvia Valentin
ChildrenMalika
Noureddin
Jalil
Bilal
Residence(s)Presidential Palace
Libreville, Gabon
Alma materPantheon-Sorbonne University

Ali Bongo Ondimba (born Alain-Bernard Bongo; 9 February 1959),[1][2] also known as Ali Bongo and Ali Ben Bongo,[1] is a Gabonese former politician who was the third president of Gabon from 2009 to 2023.[3][4][5] He is a member of the Gabonese Democratic Party. He is the son of Omar Bongo, who was president of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009. During his father's presidency, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1989 to 1991, represented Bongoville as a deputy in the National Assembly from 1991 to 1999, and was the Minister of Defense from 1999 to 2009. After his father's death, he won the 2009 Gabonese presidential election.[6] He was reelected in 2016, in elections marred by numerous irregularities, arrests, human rights violations, and post-election protests and violence.[7][8]

On 30 August 2023, following the results of the Gabonese general election, the military ousted him from the presidency in a coup d'état due to lack of transparency in the election process and established a junta called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Fils was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Africa Intelligence : l'information exclusive sur l'Afrique". Africa Intelligence (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  3. ^ Beaumont, Peter (30 August 2023). "Gabon military officers declare coup after Ali Bongo wins disputed election". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  4. ^ Gabon army claims overthrow of 56-year-old political dynasty after election Archived 30 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Washington Post, Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  5. ^ Yeung, Jessie (31 August 2023). "Gabon's military coup has overthrown a powerful political dynasty. Here's what to know". CNN. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Bongo's son to be Gabon candidate in August poll" Archived 31 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine, AFP, 16 July 2009.
  7. ^ "Unrest as dictator's son declared winner in Gabon" [dead link], Associated Press, 3 September 2009.
  8. ^ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016". state.gov. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2017.