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Gabon's Ruler Amassed a Huge Fortune

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Gabon's Ruler Amassed a Huge Fortune globeandmail.com: Gabon's ruler amassed a huge fortune http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090609.OBBONGO... Tuesday June 9, 2009 Gabon's ruler amassed a huge fortune He kept a tight grip on power in the oil-rich former French colony after becoming president in 1967 YVES LAURENT GOMA AND RUKMINI CALLIMACHI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JUNE 9, 2009 LIBREVILLE -- Gabon's President Omar Bongo was the world's longest-serving president, whose 41-year rule was a throwback to an era when Africa was ruled by "Big Men." Mr. Bongo, who was believed to be one of the world's wealthiest leaders, became the longest-ruling head of government - a category that does not include the monarchs of Britain and Thailand - when Cuba's Fidel Castro handed power to his brother last year. Mr. Bongo had kept a tight grip on power in the oil-rich former French colony since he became president in 1967, and his ruling party has dominated the country's parliament for decades. Opposition parties were allowed only in 1990. Elections since then have been marred by allegations of rigging and unrest. In 2003, parliament removed presidential term limits from the constitution. While most Gabonese feared Mr. Bongo and there was little opposition, many accepted his rule because he kept his country remarkably peaceful and governed without the sustained brutality characteristic of many dictators. Mr. Bongo, meanwhile, amassed a fortune that made him one of the world's richest men, according to Freedom House, a private Washington-based democracy watchdog organization, although nobody really knows how much he was worth. Earlier this year, a French judge decided to investigate Mr. Bongo and two other African leaders on accusations of money laundering and other alleged crimes linked to their wealth in France. The probe followed a complaint by Transparency International France, an association that tracks corruption. French media have reported that Mr. Bongo's family owns abundant real estate in France - at one time owning more properties in Paris than any other foreign leader. He was the youngest of 12 children and served as a lieutenant in the French Air Force, then climbed quickly through the civil service, eventually becoming vice-president. He assumed the presidency Dec. 2, 1967, after the death of Leon M'Ba, the country's only other head of state since independence from France in 1960. Mr. Bongo set up a one-party state. Six years later, he converted to Islam and took the name Omar. Mr. Bongo sought international approval and in May, 2004, he visited then-president George W. Bush at the White House. He also tried to cast himself as a mediator, working to end conflicts in Chad and Central African Republic, where his country has a small contingent of peacekeepers. French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "sadness and emotion" at Mr. Bongo's death yesterday and pledged that France would remain "loyal to its long relationship of friendship" with Gabon. Gabon is the fifth-biggest oil exporter in sub-Saharan Africa, and Mr. Bongo built a vast system of patronage, doling out largesse in part through the salaries and benefits that came with cabinet posts. The country has more oil pipelines than paved roads. Only 1 per cent of its land is cultivated and Gabon produces virtually no food. Instead, basics such as tomatoes are imported from France and neighbouring Cameroon, pushing prices so high that Libreville, the capital, is the world's eighth most expensive city, according to Employment Conditions Abroad International. Mr. Bongo died yesterday in hospital in Spain, where he had been a patient for several months. 1 of 2 08/12/2011 10:51 AM globeandmail.com: Gabon's ruler amassed a huge fortune http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090609.OBBONGO... In Gabon, the government responded by announcing the closure of the country's international airport and all of its land and sea borders, and the mood in Libreville, the capital, appeared tense, as security forces fanned out and took positions in front of key government buildings and important electrical installations. Hours before Mr. Bongo's death, Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong said in Barcelona that he saw the president and declared him "alive and well." Gabonese officials had become increasingly belligerent with journalists, including calling a meeting with the French ambassador in Gabon in order to scrutinize the coverage of the president's death by French media outlets. Omar Bongo Albert Bernard Bongo was born on Dec. 30, 1935, in Lewai, French Equatorial Africa Libreville (now Bongoville, Gabon), and died on June 9, 2009, in Barcelona. He was 73. He leaves his son Ali-Ben Bongo, Gabonese defence minister, and two daughters: Pascaline Mferri Bongo Ondimba, a former foreign minister who is now secretary to the cabinet, and Albertine Amissa Bongo. © Copyright 2011 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Globe and Mail, 444 Front St. W., Toronto, ON Canada M5V 2S9 Phillip Crawley, Publisher 2 of 2 08/12/2011 10:51 AM.
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