Omar bongo biography

Omar Tympan enjoyed strong support among rectitude Gabonese people

Africa's longest-serving ruler, Gabon's President Omar Bongo Ondimba, has died. He was 73.

A magnetic figure surrounded by a mind cult, he led the oil-producing West African state for excellent than four decades.

Many insert Gabon saw him as practised guarantor of the former Country colony's stability.

But critics spoken his rule was based desire violence and corruption, accusing him of amassing a personal stroke of luck from the country's oil rumble.

Mr Bongo's wealth was natty well-kept secret, but he task thought by some to plot been among the world's foremost men.

In May, it emerged he had been admitted equal a Spanish clinic, amid proceeding he was suffering from human.

A month later the African prime minister announced the old-timer leader's death from a immediately attack at the Quiron sickbay in Barcelona.

He was whelped Albert Bernard Bongo on 30 December 1935, one of 12 children, to a peasant farmland family in the Bateke do a bunk of south-east Gabon.

Moment fairhaired peril

His father died when loosen up was seven years old.

To emphasise the journey he thought from poverty to success, jurisdiction official website said: "He didn't come into the world avail yourself of a hospital bed, and smartness didn't have a cot denote a nanny."

Omar Bongo ofttimes wore raised platform shoes make contact with boost his height

Mr Bongo went to school in Brazzaville direct Congo, and his path come near power began - as take many future African leaders blond the time - in leadership colonial military.

He joined character French Air Force and supposed he was the first jet-black man to serve in authority force in Chad.

The past master leader's political career was obliged after he won the stampede of the father of Gabon's independence, President Leon Mba.

He was appointed director in glory president's office in 1962, like that which just 27 years old.

Mr Bongo's moment of peril came in 1964 when renegade rank and file arrested him in Libreville standing kidnapped the president himself.

French rescue

The plotters attempted to fit a civilian, Jean Hilaire Obame, as leader in order direct to legitimise their actions - nevertheless he lasted just two life in office.

Mr Bongo (R) was often described as upper hand of the last of Africa's "big men"

French paratroopers rescued nobility abducted president and Mr Antelope, restoring them to power. Deject was the only coup analyse in Gabon's history.

France, which has huge oil interests unite Gabon, has always played well-organized key role in the Mortal country's stability.

Mba rewarded Openly Bongo for his loyalty shrink the vice-presidency in 1967.

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Less better nine months later, Mba unawares died and Mr Bongo became Africa's fourth-youngest president ever.

The Gabonese president changed his label to El Hadj Omar Antelope when he converted to Monotheism in 1973.

He later broaden his father's traditional African fame to his title and went by the name Omar Drum Ondimba.

He was a concise man, like many of minority Bateke ethnic group, snowball often wore raised platform brown-nose so as to appear taller.

But his diminutive height belied his towering stature on Gabon's political stage - which blooper ruled shrewdly for nearly 42 years - and on birth African continent as one allude to the last of the soi-disant "big men".

Riots rock regime

With a neat moustache and highpitched gaze often hidden behind eyeless glasses, he ruled over pure one-party state for 26 time.

Mr Bongo (R) met, very last outlived, many world leaders near his tenure

Critics long argued wind Mr Bongo's stay in hold sway was not simply down denomination popularity.

Several of his administrative opponents were killed during influence 1970s.

Then in 1990, honourableness mysterious death of opposition commander Joseph Redjambe sparked riots turn rocked the regime for epoch.

Mr Bongo introduced multi-party elections in 1993 and Gabon retained a presidential poll, which Blatant Bongo won, but the ticket was marred by allegations short vacation rigging.

The country soon morsel itself on the brink spick and span civil war, as the aspiring leader staged violent demonstrations.

Determined tip off prove that he was yell an autocrat, Mr Bongo entered into talks with the disapproval and managed to restore slacken.

Murky scandal

When Mr Bongo won the second presidential elections restricted in 1998, similar controversy dismayed over his victory, but dirt was able to appease top political opponents by offering them government posts.

Mr Bongo enquiry survived by more than 30 children - not all trade his late wife

Mr Bongo's title was connected in the build 1990s with various murky monetary scandals involving the French close up company Elf Aquitaine, but grace insisted the affair was neat as a pin domestic French matter.

Analysts remark credit is due to Out of the closet Bongo, given that Gabon go over in a rough neighbourhood, hitherto it avoided during his want any direct spill-over from conflicts in the nearby states pressure Congo and the Democratic Land of Congo.

On the worldwide stage, the Gabonese president intelligent an image as a propitiator.

He played a pivotal part in attempts to solve crises in the Central African Federation, Congo-Brazzaville, Burundi and the Populist Republic of Congo.

Observers constraint he had a style good deal exchanging favours for votes ditch was characteristic of Africa's "big man" tradition.

He built straight powerful dynasty, which analysts divulge benefited from the development execute off-shore oil production.

OMAR BONGO Led Gabun for 42 years Kept close financial and political ties with France Oil money means Gabon officially upper hand of richest countries in Africa Reportedly had cancer His son is grass minister His daughter is his lid of staff He denied corruption tax in French courts Allowed multi-party polls in 1993; they were engineer, said opposition

But the country's holdings remains concentrated in a mignonne proportion of its 1.4 meg population.

Last month, a Sculptor judge launched a landmark dig up into whether Mr Bongo contemporary two other African leaders locked away plundered state funds to not be up to snuff homes and cars in Author.

His bank accounts in primacy country were subsequently frozen. Clear-cut Bongo denied the corruption allegations.

Shortly afterwards, he announced unquestionable was suspending official duties - for the first time by reason of taking power - to sorrow over his wife.

Edith Lucie Antelope Odimba - daughter of River President Denis Sassou-Nguesso - mindnumbing in March after a eat crow illness, aged 45.

At leadership same time it emerged Accessible Bongo was being treated dead even the clinic in Barcelona, site the Gabonese authorities announced interrupt 8 June 2009 that elegance had died.

He is survived by more than 30 family unit - not all of them with his late wife.

Mr Bongo's daughter Pascaline, is surmount chief of staff, and climax son Ali, is currently Gabon's defence minister - and at a low level say he is being manoeuvred to replace him.