Former Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was ousted in a military coup in August 2023, has been released from house arrest along with his wife Sylvia and son Noureddin. The family arrived in Luanda, Angola, on May 16, 2025, according to a statement from the Angolan presidency, which also shared photographs of the Bongos being received at the airport.
Ali Bongo, whose family had ruled Gabon for over five decades, had been under house arrest in Libreville since the coup that ended his 14-year rule. His wife and son were detained on allegations of embezzling public funds, with their lawyers later accusing the authorities of subjecting them to torture during detention.
Their release follows high-level diplomatic talks between Angola’s President João Lourenço and Gabon’s current leader, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. Though the Angolan presidency provided no detailed explanation, the gesture appears linked to recent efforts to restore Gabon’s international standing, including its readmission into the African Union (AU) on April 30 after being suspended following the coup.
Oligui Nguema, a former junta leader who assumed power after the 2023 coup, was sworn in as president earlier in May after securing 94.85% of the vote in the April 12 election. International observers reported no significant irregularities in the electoral process.
The release of the Bongo family has stirred controversy. Former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, who contested the recent election, argued that the detentions were legally unjustified and said the release was less about clemency and more about yielding to international pressure.
Some Gabonese voices, like transitional parliament member Geoffroy Foumboula Libeka, harshly criticized the quiet transfer of the Bongos, calling it a “real disgrace” and suggesting it undermines national sovereignty. Libeka claimed the family’s release was a diplomatic trade-off for Gabon’s AU reintegration.
Despite its oil wealth, Gabon remains plagued by high unemployment, infrastructure challenges, and significant debt. The Bongos’ lengthy grip on power—first through Omar Bongo’s 41-year rule and then Ali’s 14-year presidency—was increasingly criticized for corruption and autocracy. Ali Bongo’s health had also become a topic of concern following a 2018 stroke that limited his public engagements.
His fall from power came just after being declared winner of a disputed 2023 presidential election, which both the army and opposition denounced as fraudulent, triggering the coup that would ultimately end the Bongo dynasty’s 55-year rule.
