Gabon president Omar Bongo
Africa’s longest-running ruler, Gabon president Omar Bongo, has passed away due to cardiac arrest in a Barcelona, Spain hospital. He was 73.
“He dedicated his political life to his country and the Gabonese people, always cultivating the unity and cohesion of the Gabonese toward a true peace,” Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong said in a press release.
Gabon has closed all its land, sea, and air ports after announcing Bongo’s death, and declared a 30-day state of mourning.
Omar Bongo took power in 1967, only 7 years after Gabon got its independence from France, succeeding the country’s first president. Bongo quickly instituted one-party rule in the country. Although he allowed elections starting in 1991, his party continued to rule the nation.
“President Bongo consistently emphasized the importance of seeking compromise and striving for peace, and made protecting Gabon’s natural treasures a priority,” Barack Obama said in a statement Monday. “His work in conservation in his country and his commitment to conflict resolution across the continent are an important part of his legacy and will be remembered with respect.”
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