Former Gabonese President Ali Bongo, who was deposed in a coup, is free to leave the nation and travel abroad, the leader of the coup declared on Wednesday.
“He has freedom of movement… and can travel abroad if he wishes,” general Brice Oligui Nguema said in a statement read on state television.
Since the military takeover on August 30, which occurred without incident less than an hour after Bongo’s party declared his reelection in a ballot that the putschists deemed fraudulent, Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years, had been placed under house arrest.
“Given his state of health, the former President of the Republic Ali Bongo Ondimba has freedom of movement. He can travel abroad if he wishes to carry out his medical checks,” Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi said, reading a press release signed by Oligui took his oath as transitional president on Monday.
Prior to his freedom, Bongo in a viral clip had called for help after the army ousted him in a coup and put him under house arrest.
In the viral clip obtained by Premium Politics, he urged supporters to “raise your voice” while speaking from a residence.
The coupist said they had annulled the results of Saturday’s election in which Mr Bongo was declared the winner with just under 60% of the vote, but the opposition claimed it was fraudulent.
The officers also said they had arrested one of Mr Bongo’s sons for treason.
At the time of filing this report, it’s not clear if his son has been released.
