The wife of Gabon’s ousted president, Ali Bongo, Sylvia Bongo, has been jailed by the country’s military junta.
Her lawyer, Francois Zimeray, announced this today while describing the detention as arbitrary and illegal.
Sylvia was charged on September 28, 2023, with money laundering, forgery, and falsification of records.
She had been under house arrest in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, since August 31, 2023, which was the day after a military coup toppled her husband from power.
The coup leaders accused Ali Bongo and his associates of rigging the election results and claimed that his wife had been controlling him since he suffered a stroke in 2018.
Ali Bongo had ruled Gabon since 2009, succeeding his father, Omar Bongo, who died after 42 years in office. Gabon is one of the richest countries in Africa in terms of per capita income, but a third of its population lives in poverty.
Sylvia’s son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, along with several former ministers and cabinet members, have also been charged with corruption and embezzlement of public funds.
The United States and the European Union have expressed concern over the situation in Gabon and called for respect for democratic principles. The EU also warned against instability in Africa and said that coups are a big problem on the continent.