Gabon: President Bongo on the Mend after Hospitalisation

Gabon’s president, Ali Bongo, is “seriously ill” but is making a recovery, according to the presidency.

The 59-year-old statesman was hospitalised on 24 October in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he had been attending an investment summit. He was reportedly scheduled to speak alongside other leaders but was not seen during the discussion.

Since being admitted to the King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh, media reports speculated on the health of Mr Bongo. Sources previously told news agencies that he had suffered a stroke, although Gabonese authorities insisted that he was suffering from fatigue.

Now, according to an official a statement by his spokesperson, Ike Ngouni, Mr Bongo is on the mend. He said that the president “has received all the needed support”, and that he is in the process of “recovering most of his functions”.

Ngouni added: “Ali Bongo … continues to carry out his duties. The institutions of our Republic, therefore, function today perfectly in the strict respect of the constitution.”