Former President Bongo of Gabon Acknowledges his “Inadequacies” and Urges Peacemaking
The deposed leader of a coup in August of last year, Ali Bongo Ondimba, spoke to Gabonese.
The former president demanded that his wife, son, Sylvia, and Nourredin Bongo be freed from their “torture” and declared in an open letter that he was quitting politics for ever.
After the Bongo dynasty fell, both were taken into custody and charged.
They have been imprisoned “for crimes for which their guilt has not yet been established,” according to Ali Bongo, and have been made into “scapegoats of a situation that goes beyond their individual being.”
In the letter that made the rounds of the media on Wednesday, September 18, Bongo acknowledges that he is the “sole responsible” for the “inadequacies on the social and institutional level” that occurred during his tenure.
In the end, he demands “national reconciliation”.
Reactions to the move have been conflicting. Many people living in Libreville are pessimistic.
“His message isn’t sincere in its core. I see it as deliberate remorse on his part. One comments, “If he were sincere, he would demand the release of those he imprisoned during his presidency.”
“I feel conflicted; if we react from the heart, things will get really complicated. However, our respect for our Christian faith would require us to extend forgiveness. You see, it’s challenging,” says a second person.
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