Gabon veep confirms President Ali Bongo suffered stroke

Gabon’s President Ali Bongo suffered a stroke which led to his hospitalization, Vice President Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou confirmed over the weekend.

The VP whiles delivering a speech in Franceville, south of the country, said Bongo had suffered a cerebrovascular accident or CVA, commonly known as a stroke.

CVA in simple terms involves: a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack in the brain.

He went on to caution against the tendency for anyone to rejoice over another’s state of misfortune especially when it relates to health. “Nobody should rejoice over the death or illness of another, those who have never known a CVA, pray to God that they never know one.

“I would not wish it on anyone, not even my worst enemy,” Moussavou added. His role has become prominent in recent times following the ill health of his boss.

The Constitutional Court last month ruled that Moussavou is eligible to lead the cabinet meeting which had been put off since Bongo was admitted in a Riyadh hospital in October.

The VP along with the Constitutional Court head, Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo and other top government officials visited Bongo in a Moroccan hospital last week.

Bongo was transferred to the Rabat military hospital from Riyadh to convalesce. It is not known as yet when he will be heading back home.

The official government account had been that the 59-year-old had suffered severe fatigue following his exertions at home and on international duty.

Reuters quoted sources close to the presidency as confirming that Bongo suffered a stroke but Libreville never responded to the allegations directly.

A photograph of Bongo and two videos without sound have been published since his arrival in Morocco, further fuelling rumours about his state of health.

The Bongo family has governed the oil-rich equatorial African nation for five decades. ALi Bongo took over when his father, Omar Bongo died in office.

He won hotly contested elections in 2009 to secure a second-term in office. His main contender and former African Union Chairperson, Jean Ping, insists till date that he was the rightful winner of the election.