* Albert Bongo.
ninth child of a modest family of farmers from the region of Franceville (in eastern Gabon), Albert Bongo was born in 1935. Orphaned at 12, he is placed under the guardianship of an uncle he follows the will of its mutations. Used as ancillary to the main post office in Brazzaville, he passed the entrance exam for the PTT administration.
* Albert Bernard Bongo.
Meanwhile, Albert Bongo hitherto Animist, converted to Catholicism and the opportunity to adopt a second name: Bernard. Called up in 1958, he made his service in the army French air and leaves lieutenant in 1960, while Gabon becomes independent. The first head of state of the country is Leon Mba. He obtained the support of General de Gaulle and Foccart (the gentleman Africa generally). It must be said that Mba has everything to reassure him. For several years, he campaigned in effect for that Gabon will be transformed into a French department and for a fig tricolor flag in a corner of Gabon! Meanwhile, Albert-Bernard Bongo joined the Foreign Ministry, where he was spotted by the president of Gabon.
Albert Bongo and Leon Mba.
In 1962, at age 27, Bongo became his chief of staff. However, very quickly, the President becomes an autocrat and the army overthrew him 17 February 1964 in a coup d'etat. French troops intervene immediately to restore Mba faithful in his duties. But ill (he has cancer), Mba trying to find a dolphin potential. Bongo seems the man for the job. After an interview test with de Gaulle, he was dubbed as the designated successor. In 1966 he became vice president and constitutional successor. Thus, it automatically becomes the second president of the Gabonese Republic to the death of Mba in 1967.
Bongo and General de Gaulle in January 1968. Bongo therefore installed in the presidential palace, the seafront boulevard in Libreville. From March 1968, he launched the CEO (Gabonese Democratic Party) and then terminates to multiparty the pretext that he could see the country pouring into tribalism (each ethnic likely to vote for its members ). This authoritarian turn raises very little challenge in any case certainly not France. Bongo affirmed in effect as a strong supporter of the former metropolitan in the area.
During the Biafran war (from 1967), it makes available Libreville Airport (De Gaulle and Houphouet Boigny supported the secession of this province's rich Nigerian). So that by the Gabonese airport transit of arms to rebel Biafran (under the guise of humanitarian flight to the Red Cross). Franco-Gabonese relations are so very "cordial" in the name of the best interests of everyone and a real complicity is created between the French secret services and the president of Gabon. Bongo has its place in France, it needs support to Gabon to continue his interventions more or less discreet in equatorial Africa.
formula Bongo summarizes quite well the Franco-Gabonese relations. For him, "Africa without France is the car without the driver. France without Africa is a car without fuel." In fact, the rich oil resources of the country provide an economic boost to the country. Libreville bristles when modern high-rise buildings. Bongo knows and build on the wealth of the country whose basement is full of manganese, uranium and especially oil. It is then a builder and built the Trans-Gabon railway, a deepwater port, power plants, the roads, endows the country with an airline (Air Gabon). Everything seems so successful in some small country and then talk miracle Gabon ". Yet if we look more closely, we find that its development is entirely dependent on oil, while social inequalities become particularly glaring.
The young President Bongo (1973). * El Hadj Omar Bongo.
In 1973, Bongo converted to Islam. Again, expediency seems to dictate his choice more than a spiritual concern. Conversion comes in effect after a visit to Colonel Gaddafi. Bongo, Omar must now be called, is probably motivated by a rapprochement with the Gulf countries, rich in oil. In fact, Gabon joined Gabon in 1975.
Bongo control his country firmly and impose its views in a "little green book" which quickly became a bible for any self-respecting Gabon. The president will multiply the maxims soothing. Nothing seems to threaten Bongo who triumph during the various elections (he collects more than 99% of the vote in 1973, 1979 and 1986, for lack of opponents). Political opponents are meanwhile, silenced or executed (as Germain Mba murdered right in Libreville by two French mercenaries).
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