Political speculation and concerns for the economy have gone into overdrive in Gabon as questions grow over the fate of President Ali Bongo who was hospitalised in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago.
According to a non-Gabonese source close to Mr. Bongo, the president “suffered stroke.”
The source added that the condition is not life-threatening, and that the President is no longer under artificial respiration.
An AFP journalist who went to Riyadh’s King Faisal Hospital where Bongo was admitted, on Wednesday was told that all information on the president’s health was subject to either a “royal order” or authorisation from the Gabonese embassy.
Bongo, 59, fell ill on October 24 during a visit to Riyadh to attend an economic forum.
His spokesperson Ike Ngouoni said doctors there had diagnosed him with “severe fatigue” and ordered bed rest.
Since then, there has been no official news, and details that are circulating are either sketchy or unverified.
Michael Jackson film set to be a controversial hit
April 19, 2026
