By Ayo Yusuf
Gabon’s military coup leaders said deposed President Ali Bongo is free to travel abroad for medical treatment if he so wishes.
The junta spokesperson, Col. Ulrich Manfoumbi reportedly told the state television station on Wednesday that this was the directive of the transitional leader, Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema who took over power from Mr Bongo late August.
The former president has since then been held under house arrest at his residence where he earlier made a video recording calling on friends of Gabon to “make noise” and intervene on his behalf.
Col Manfoumbi said, “Given his state of health, the former President of the Republic Ali Bongo Ondimba is free to move about. He may, if he wishes, travel abroad to receive medical check-ups,” in a statement he read on national television.
Mr Bongo had suffered a stroke on October 24 2018 while in Saudi Arabia to attend an investment summit and has not fully recovered from the lingering effects.
After receiving initial treatment in Riyadh, he was flown to Morocco for treatment where he stayed for several months returning only after an apparent attempted coup by a small group of renegade soldiers.
Gen Brice Oligui Nguema-led junta has also released images showing Bongo greeting Abdou Abarry, head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, at Mr. Bongo’s residence in the capital Libreville.
The deposed Gabonese leader has rarely been seen since he made the aforementioned video shortly after military officers placed him on house arrest.
“The people here have arrested me… I’m in the residence… I don’t know what is going on,” he said in the footage.
Bongo, 64, had been in power for 14 years since succeeding his father Omar Bongo in 2009 and sought another term in last month’s disputed elections.
