Monday, June 8, 2009
OMAR BONGO, ANOTHER AFRICAN DESPOT KICKS THE BUCKET!
President Omar Bongo of Gabon, Africa's longest-serving despotic-dictator since 1967, has at last, eventually died! He was just 73 years? What an end to an era, which everybody cannot wait to see come to pass? He was a mean midget dictator and absolutely corrupt.
Icheoku does not mourn his death but let it be a sign to other African henchmen, that there is always an end to everything under the sun. With Omar Bongo now gone, Africa should continue to pray hard that the good Lord will take care of other remaining madmen of Africa, who are holding a death-grip on power and for too long now! The list include Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Lybia's Moummar Ghaddafi, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo and Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea; as well as other emerging petty-dictators and anti-democratic elements in Africa especially Mwai Kibaki of Kenya?
Fearing arrest for corruption in France, Omar Bongo has sought treatment in Spain, where he was receiving treatment at a clinic in Barcelona before he died. Omar Bongo had cancer and probably died of it? It will be recalled that his wife Edith Lucie Bongo, had passed on in March 2009.
His son, the current defence minister of Gabon, Ali-Ben Bongo, is likely to succeed him as president; except the Gabonese people rise up to the occasion to put an end to the madness and nip in the bud, a disastrous dynasty?
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Mr Bongo is one of three African leaders accused of embezzlement by the French arm of the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International - also under investigation are Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Republic of Congo and Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea.
ReplyDeleteIt is alleged that the volume of real estate owned by Mr Bongo's family in France could not have been purchased with official salaries alone. In recent weeks this has been followed by the freezing of Mr Bongo's bank accounts in France following bribery allegations.
Mr Bongo, who has temporarily stepped down from his post on health grounds while visiting Europe, has denied any wrongdoing.
But critics have long argued that Mr Bongo's stay in power has been as a consequence of a combination of violence and corruption.
The first tide of violence happened in the 1970s when several opposition members were killed. Then in 1990, the mysterious death of opposition leader Joseph Redjambe sparked riots that rocked the regime for days.
But it is money that is thought to be the ultimate weapon in the hands of the president and his family.
It is money that has helped to ensure peace, silence critics and fuel solid friendships abroad, notably in France, its former colonial power.
And over recent years it has become increasingly clear that, either as a result of intimidation or gifts, all Mr Bongo's political opponents have thrown in the towel.
Even Pierre Mamboundou, leader of the Union for the People of Gabon (UPG) - until recently considered Mr Bongo's most credible rival - has now joined the long list of former opponents turned quiet.
In 2006, however, he stopped his public criticisms of Mr Bongo. The former firebrand makes no secret that the president pledged to give him $21.5 million for the development of his constituency of Ndende.
The wealth of President Bongo may be a well-kept secret, but he is believed to be one of the world's richest men. His assets abroad may just be the tip of the iceberg, but they provide more than a clue to the extent of his fortune.
In 2007 a police investigation into real estate owned by the president and his family in France disclosed 33 properties in Paris and Nice worth an estimated $190 million.
And back in 1999, an investigation by the American senate into the private practices of Citibank estimated that the Gabonese president held $130 million in the bank's personal accounts. Furthermore, the report stated that there was "no doubt that these financial assets were sourced in the public finances of Gabon."
Mr Bongo was also linked to the 1990s investigation of the French state-owned oil firm Elf-Aquitaine, which exposed a murky world of bribes and secret funding of political parties.
He was named as the final beneficiary of millions of dollars transferred into Swiss bank accounts - but again, he strongly denied any wrongdoing.
In a much-publicised manifesto in December 2008, a Gabonese civil society network launched a scathing attack not only on Mr Bongo, but also his daughter Pascaline, who is his chief of staff, and his son Ali, who is currently Gabon's defence minister.
Both stand accused of ruling the country as their private property and trying to put themselves in prime position to succeed their father.
"We are back in a single-party regime. The only means of resistance for the Gabonese people is to go on strike and not to vote in elections," laments Mr Ben-Moubamba, a member of the Free Gabonese Civil Society Network.
Even France, which has major oil interests, an estimated 10,000 expatriates and a military base in Gabon, seems to have doubts about the future of the regime. It quietly dispatched 300 paratroopers in January to reinforce its base.
The aim is reportedly to protect French citizens abroad.
But the move is also a clear indication that France is in the dark and getting nervous about what may happen when the ageing autocrat's time is up.
My Bongo might be all those things but he was also a friend of Biafra when few Africa countries supported the justified Biafran struggle.
ReplyDeleteBongo was "enyi Biafra" (friend of Biafra). To his credit, thousands of Biafran children were saved.
Farewell enyi ndi Biafra!
Bongo's son calls for Gabon calm
ReplyDeleteThe government confirmed Omar Bongo's death on Monday
The son of the late Gabonese President Omar Bongo has appealed for calm following his father's death.
Defence Minister Ali-Ben Bongo, who made the comments in a televised address, is seen as a top candidate to succeed his father.
Earlier, the defence ministry said it was closing Gabon's borders and that it was deploying security forces across the country.
Omar Bongo was Africa's longest serving leader when he died at 73.
His death was confirmed by Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong in a written statement.
There had been conflicting reports earlier on Monday about whether Mr Bongo, who had led Gabon since 1967, had died in a Spanish clinic.
Under the constitution, the leader of the Senate, Rose Francine Rogombe, an ally of Mr Bongo, should take over as interim leader and organise elections within 45 days.
Mourning period
In these difficult circumstances, love of one's homeland should give one pause and constitute a sacred duty for all children of Gabon
Ali-Ben Bongo
Defence minister
Obituary: Omar Bongo
The murky world of Omar Bongo
Should Gabon mourn Bongo?
But opposition leaders have claimed that Ali-Ben Bongo has been lined up to take over, and question whether any election would be free and fair.
In his address, the late leader's son said he was speaking as a member of the family, not a minister.
"I call for calm and quiet contemplation in order to preserve the unity and the peace which was so dear to our late father," he said.
"In these difficult circumstances, love of one's homeland should give one pause and constitute a sacred duty for all children of Gabon."
The defence ministry said in a televised statement that "all components of the defence forces were put in place across the territory", and that sensitive buildings were being secured.
Earlier, Mr Ndong said Mr Bongo had died of a heart attack shortly before 1230 GMT.
He said Gabon would observe 30 days of mourning, and called on the Gabonese people to "stand together in contemplation and dignity".
The internet has been cut off since Sunday, while state television is playing religious music.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his sadness over the death of Mr Bongo. He said France was "standing by the people of Gabon and its institutions, at this difficult time".
Embezzlement investigation
Gabon under Mr Bongo has maintained close economic and political ties to France, the former colonial power.
Mr Bongo became vice-president, and then president, of Gabon in 1967.
He stopped work in May, and entered a clinic in Barcelona. Government officials insisted it was for a check-up, but other reports said he had cancer.
Mr Bongo faced a French inquiry into corruption allegations.
Oil earnings mean that Gabon is officially one of Africa's richest states but analysts say that the political elite have kept most of the money for themselves. Most of the country's 1.4 million people live in poverty.
Mr Bongo was one of three African leaders being investigated for alleged embezzlement by a French judge. The others are Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo and Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea.
It is alleged that the properties owned by Mr Bongo's family in France could not have been purchased with official salaries alone.
Mr Bongo denied any wrongdoing.
Gabon Nominates Acting President
ReplyDeleteBy Paul Ohia with agency reports, 06.10.2009
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Contrary to fears that the death of former President Omar Bongo may trigger a constitutional crisis, Gabon has announced that Senate Speaker, Rose Francine Rogombe, will be the acting president as the country awaits election in the next 30 to 45 days.
The country also reopened its borders as the government paved the way for a smooth presidential succession after the death of Bongo, who ruled for 41 years.
A senior judge announced yesterday that the country's constitutional court had taken the decision.
Rogombe, 66, would “provisionally” exercise power and take an oath today “in the presence of parliament and the constitutional court,” presiding Judge Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo said.
Elections would then be held between 30 and 45 days later.
“The important thing is to respect institutions and the memory of president Bongo,” Communications Minister Laure Olga Gondjout told journalists, after some ministers left the cabinet meeting in tears.
“We're strictly following the constitutional route, contrary to supposition and Machiavellian plans attributed to one person or another, particularly the defence minister,” Interior Minister Andre Mba Obame said.
“We're following the constitution at the pace of a forced march since the Bongo clan left no time to prepare anything else,” a source close to the presidency added. “There's no major problem, because everyone wants peace.”
But the same source warned that “organising democratic elections within 45 days is impossible” because of a lack of an accurate electoral roll.
Bongo's death at 73 was announced by the prime minister Monday in Barcelona, Spain, where he had been undergoing treatment since early May in a private clinic for intestinal cancer.
Many Gabonese mourned the only president they had ever known, whose body was due to be repatriated tomorrow, with official ceremonies set to be held from Friday to Monday.
Most shops and markets were open as normal in a calm capital, with police and troops posted outside strategic official buildings and embassies.
“It's like a normal Tuesday,” said a worker in a shopping centre.
But a car park guard at Libreville's biggest supermarket said that Monday's announcement was followed by “a rush to stock up on food,” in case of a curfew. “It was madness.”
Bongo's son Ali Ben Bongo, 50, Gabon's defence minister and favourite to succeed him, called Monday for public calm and closed the borders in the wake of his father's death.
The frontiers were reopened yesterday and the defence ministry said that there would be no curfew, though public buildings would still remain under watch.
Flags flew at half-mast; special broadcasts were aired on state radio and television, while mourning will last for 30 days.
The government has stressed the importance of unity and credited Bongo with bringing it to the former French colony, a patchwork of ethnic groups.
US President Barack Obama praised Bongo's “commitment to conflict resolution,” while African leaders hailed the elder statesman and peacemaker, particularly in central Africa.
“Bongo has contributed enormously to the African continent through his involvement in peaceful resolution of conflict in the Central African region and the continent as a whole,” South Africa's foreign ministry stated.
President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo said the death of “this great statesman who put his stamp on the history of contemporary Africa was a great loss”.
Bongo came to power in 1967 with French support to rule over a nation that grew rich on oil - pumped by French firm Elf that long ran a state within a state - and maintained wealthy elite while most of the 1.5 million population remained poor.
In his last months, Gabon's relations with Paris soured over a French probe into Bongo's luxury residences in France and a court order to freeze his bank accounts, based on allegations the properties were acquired with embezzled funds.
Bid to block Bongo son from poll
ReplyDeleteThe late leader's son, Defence Minister Ali-Ben Bongo, is tipped to replace him
No current or former member of government should stand in forthcoming presidential elections in Gabon, say civil society groups in the country.
A correspondent in Gabon says the organisations are particularly concerned the son of the late President, Omar Bongo, will take over.
Mr Bongo, who ruled Gabon for more than four decades, died after a long illness in a Spanish hospital last week.
Elections are due to be held in the West African nation within 45 days.
Interim President Rose Francine Rogombe has been sworn in as the nation's first female leader - she is constitutionally ineligible to stand for election.
OMAR BONGO
Led Gabon for nearly 42 years
Oil money means Gabon officially one of richest countries in Africa
He denied corruption charges in French courts
Allowed multi-party polls in 1993; opposition said they weren't fair
Having a laugh with Omar Bongo
Gabon teacher not mourning Bongo
Gabonese reporter Linel Kwatsi in the capital, Libreville, told the BBC that civil society groups want the interim leader, who is a member of the ruling party, to guarantee the poll will be free and fair.
They also say members of the government have used state funds to run election campaigns in the past.
The ruling Gabonese Democratic Party has been deciding who should succeed the late president, with his 50-year-old son, Defence Minister Ali-Ben Bongo, tipped as a leading contender.
Mr Bongo is to be buried at Franceville in the Bateke region of his birth in south-east Gabon on Thursday.
At least 10 heads of state, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are expected to attend the funeral.
Under Mr Bongo, Gabon kept close economic and political ties with the former colonial power, France.
It emerged last month that Mr Bongo was being treated in a Barcelona clinic, amid unconfirmed reports he had cancer.
The government said on Monday of last week that the 73-year-old had died of a heart attack, hours after saying he was alive and well.
The Head of the Biafran Red Cross during Nigeria’s 30 – month civil war, Rev Dr. Moses Iloh, has tasked the Governors of the South East to declare a day of mourning for the late Gabonese President and Africa’s longest serving leader, Albert Bernard Omar Bongo, who will be buried tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteIn an interview with Daily Champion, Iloh, whose organisation, the Red Cross worked closely with the Gabonese authorities under the leadership of Bongo to salvage thousands of traumatised Biafran civilian populace, especially children, described the late leader as an international statesman of great compassion, whose key agenda was humanitarianism.
Iloh said that the South East owed the late Bongo tremendous appreciation, "because there is hardly any family in the defunct enclave where one or more children was not saved from the fangs of starvation and sickness due to the humanitarian efforts of the late Gabonese leader."
Iloh said the late president appalled by the massive hunger and death ravaging the entire Biafra, defied international pressure and threats and opened a floodgate of humanitarian services on the landlocked ill – fated Republic.
"People might have contrary opinions about the late Omar Bongo, but l see him from a purely humanitarian perspective. His role in saving the lives of hundreds of thousands ofkwashiokor-ravaged Biafran children was a divine intervention. Here was a man who out of pure love broke all the rules and decided to swim or drown with Biafran children, when nobody did. He supplied them with massive quantity of drugs and relief materials and threw the doors of his country wide open for those of them whose medical case proved too difficult for Biafra’s health authorities, availing them of the best medical treatment in his country. After the war, Bongo was touched by the fear and hopelessness that pervaded the East and turned Gabon into a second home for youths from the East battling for survival, welcoming them with open arms and making them feel at home in his country", Iloh said.
In this context, he said, it would not be out of place if the South East, especially the leaders declares a day of mourning for the late president thereby display concern over the death of a man who proved himself a friend and a brother in a time of need.
Iloh gave a graphic account of how the late Bongo used Hercules planes to embark on endless supply of drugs and relief materials to aid the dying children in ithe enclave as well as the evacuation of children in critical health condition despite heavy air bombardment by federal troops.
"Each day, as we put up the Red Cross flag and bring out thousands of hungry and sick children to nourish them, Russian made planes flown by Egyptian pilots would come up and fly so low that you can almost touch them and take their time to strike all the children to death. Under international convention, the Red Cross flag signifies a non - military humanitarian territory that must not be attacked," Iloh added.
"At the end of each day, we find ourselves digging mass graves and burying thousands of thousands of children shattered beyond recognition by close- range air missiles. Some of the surviving children were so sick that if you pour milk or water into their mouth, it will run out from their anus immediately. It was when the Biafran enclave became too insecure for Biafran kids due to the ravages of sickness,air raids, land attack and refugee crisis that the late President Omar Bongo decided to start air – lifting them to his country .Once in Gabon, the children were given excellent urgent medicare. The President built homes for them, placed them under good hands and provided all their needs including education. He even adopted some as his personal children and took them to the presidential palace where they did everything together with the rest of his children. It was a love quite unparallel." Ilo said amidst tears