In 2023, Gabon’s military removed President Ali Bongo from power for the second time. Now, in 2024, Bongo has announced a hunger strike to protest the treatment of his wife, Sylvia, and son, Noureddin, who are reportedly in need of urgent medical care but are being denied access to it, according to RFI radio, citing his lawyer, Gisèle Ehui Bekale.
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This is not the first time Bongo has resorted to such measures. In May 2024, he began a hunger strike to protest alleged mistreatment of his family members but ended it after two weeks. His lawyer claims that the former president, who remains under house arrest at his residence in Libreville’s upscale Sablière district, is taking this step to draw attention to the plight of his wife and son, who are still imprisoned and unable to receive the medical attention they require.
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Bongo has reportedly decided to drastically reduce his food intake, halt rehabilitation sessions, and refuse visitors. His lawyer stated that the decision to go on hunger strike came after reviewing medical reports indicating that Sylvia Bongo has an enlarged thyroid gland and a potential risk of cancer, while Noureddin has a ruptured eardrum. Doctors have recommended both be evacuated abroad for proper treatment, but the military authorities have not allowed this.
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Despite being permitted by the military to travel within Gabon and even abroad for medical treatment, Bongo has refused to leave the country while his family remains imprisoned.
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The military coup in Gabon took place on August 30, 2023, when the armed forces dissolved government institutions and annulled the election results, which reportedly favored Bongo, who had been in power since 2009. The military later promised to establish transitional institutions and placed Bongo under house arrest. In early September 2023, transitional leader Brice Oligui Nguema allowed Bongo to travel abroad for medical reasons, but Bongo chose to stay in Gabon and offered to assist in the transition process. By September 2024, however, Bongo announced his retirement from politics.
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The situation remains tense as Bongo’s hunger strike highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment of his family and the broader political climate in Gabon.
