The Gabonese government has issued a sharp rebuttal to accusations of torture made by former First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba during a recent interview with France 24.
Authorities dismissed her claims as falsehoods and distorted accounts intended to mislead the public. During a press conference on Sunday, March 8, Minister of Communication and Media Germain Biahodjow condemned the dissemination of these allegations, criticizing Western media outlets for broadcasting what he described as disinformation campaigns that damage the reputation of Gabon’s national institutions.
The government firmly rejected all claims of violence or abuse, labeling them as defamatory allegations. Minister Biahodjow maintained that the former First Lady, her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin, and their co-defendants were treated in strict accordance with the rule of law and with full respect for human dignity throughout their period of detention. He further signaled that the government reserves the right to take measures to protect social order, including the potential suspension of media outlets within the country that continue to broadcast such reports.
Addressing the current political climate, the Minister highlighted that President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema had previously demonstrated a commitment to national reconciliation by granting former President Ali Bongo Ondimba his freedom. These comments come after Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, speaking from London, alleged she and her son were subjected to abuse during their twenty months of custody. She also continues to contest the charges of embezzlement that resulted in a twenty-year prison sentence delivered by Gabonese courts.
Following the 2023 coup that removed Ali Bongo Ondimba from power, the former First Lady and her son faced prosecution for the misappropriation of public funds. Having been sentenced in absentia last November, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba currently resides in exile in the United Kingdom, from where she maintains her innocence against the judicial rulings of the transition government.
DM/te/Sf/fss/abj/APA