Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the son of ousted President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been arrested and detained for “treason” following a military coup that overthrew the government.

Bongo’s son, born March 9, 1992, is a Franco-Gabonese senior civil servant and he held the position of Coordinator of Presidential Affairs in Gabon.

The military officers behind the coup in former French colony have accused Bongo and his son of various charges, including treason, embezzlement, corruption, and falsifying the president’s signature, among other allegations.

“President Ali Bongo is under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors,” the military junta had said in a statement read out on state television.

“Bongo’s son and close Adviser, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff, Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, as well as his deputy, two other presidential advisers and the two top officials in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party, have been arrested,” a military leader said.

Earlier on Wednesday, military officers said they had toppled Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years, hours after he had been declared the winner of the last Saturday’s elections.

In a televised statement, they said the vote results had been cancelled and “all the institutions of the republic” dissolved.

Gabonese army officers under the aegis of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions had earlier on Wednesday morning announced on national television why they are taking over power from President Ali Bongo in the country.

The soldiers had highlighted serious institutional, political, economic and social crises as factors responsible for the coup that they tagged, ‘necessary’ for the progress of the West African country.

In a nationwide address rendered in French but translated to English by AFP, the junta said, “Our beautiful country, Gabon, has always been a haven of peace.

“Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis.

“To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled.

“The borders are closed until further notice.”

Noureddin Bongo Valentin, who may be prosecuted for high treason by the Gabonese military junta, was appointed to the position of General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs within the Presidency of the Gabonese Republic during the Council of Ministers of December 5, 2019.

According to reports, the position was created for the occasion of the Council of Ministers, a post described as “a super-chief of staff” and “number two in the regime”.

By his appointment, it was seen as an additional step in the designation of the ousted President’s son as his father’s successor.

Reports further indicated that Noureddin Bongo emerged as a leader at the political office of the Gabonese Democratic Party in March 2020 and by June, under the instruction of his father Ali Bongo Ondimba, Noureddin Bongo Valentin led a taskforce on Gabon’s domestic debt which canceled more than 623 billion CFA francs out of the 1030 billion audited, about two thirds of the latter.

By vertue of his position in the Gabonese government, Noureddin Bongo Valentin has been coordinating, in collaboration with Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka, Gabon’s 2021-2023 three-year plan tagged the Transformation Acceleration Plan (PAT) since January 18, 2021.

The three-year plan has 20 priority projects aimed at diversifying the Gabonese economy in order to reduce the weight of the oil sector in the country’s GDP, ensure better food independence by producing more than 50% of consumption locally and reduce the poverty rate in the country of 10 points.

Noureddin Bongo Valentin is accused before the Gabonese courts of illicit enrichment. The complaint was later dismissed.

Ahead of the 2023 elections in Gabon, he was appointed by his father to lead his campaign for the presidential election in 2021.

Noureddin Bongo had earlier obtained a diplomatic passport and was named strategic adviser to Ali Bongo within the Gabonese Democratic Party before he took charge of his father’s electioneering campaign while his earlier post of General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs remained vacant since 2021, ostensibly to be returned to the position at the end of the elections which the military junta has annulled during the early morning overthrow of his father’s government.

He is also a wildlife activist, whose major tweets in resent years were on wildlife protection-conservation.

Noureddin Bongo Valentin also appeared romantic when in June, 2023, he celebrated the 8th wedding anniversary with his wife, saying “I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I love you. Always and forever”, in a tweet with a photo.

StreetReporters.ng