Ali Bongo, the former President of Gabon, along with his two youngest sons, Jalil and Bilal, have initiated a hunger strike in response to what they claim is the unjust confinement and reported mistreatment of their relatives. Their legal team made an announcement on May 14, revealing that a lawsuit has been filed in the Paris Judicial Court.
Lawyers François Zimeray and Catalina de la Sota are seeking to have a French judge look into these allegations, particularly in light of the upcoming visit to Paris by Gabon’s leader since the August 2023 coup, General Brice Oligui Nguema.
A complaint filed by Sylvia Bongo, the wife of Ali Bongo, was dismissed in October. The complaint was made on September 1, just two days after the coup. A new complaint has been filed, accusing Ali, Sylvia, and their sons Noureddin, Jalil, and Bilal of “illegal arrest, aggravated sequestration with torture, and barbaric acts.” It is worth mentioning that the first four individuals are French nationals.
The lawyers assert that Noureddin has experienced torture on multiple occasions, while Sylvia was subjected to physical assault and compelled to witness these acts. Ali, Jalil, and Bilal are currently confined to their homes, cut off from the outside world, and subjected to severe mistreatment.
In March, the lawyers made a request to a UN working group to acknowledge the Bongos’ detention as being arbitrary following the coup. General Nguema, who brought an end to the 55-year reign of the Bongo dynasty, was appointed as the transitional president by the military following the coup on August 30.
