Gabonese President Ali Bongo has been hospitalised in Riyadh, Saudi state media said, without giving more details.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Bongo in Riyadh’s King Faisal hospital and “inquired after the health of the president”, the official Saudi Press Agency said in a brief dispatch on Thursday.
Bongo, 59, was scheduled to appear Wednesday on a panel at the flagship Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, but he was not seen during the discussion and organisers of the conference offered no explanation.
But in a separate dispatch, SPA said Bongo attended a speech by Prince Mohammed at the conference later Wednesday.
Gabon’s presidency appeared to downplay the development, telling AFP it was “nothing serious” and that Bongo was tired.
Bongo took over as leader of the oil-rich equatorial African nation in 2009 on the death of his father Omar Bongo, who had ruled since 1967.
President of #Gabon Ali Bongo had an attack days ago. He was first transported to Saudi Arabia; then re-evacuated to England. See how you clueless leaders turn yourselves to medical nomads because you have refused to build proper hospitals in your countries? See yourself? pic.twitter.com/N2Hk36HoMF
— Farida Nabourema (@Farida_N) October 28, 2018
Ali Bongo whose family has been in power in #Gabon for 51 years couldn’t afford to build adequate hospitals in his country even though his father died abroad. But he had money a few years ago to import fake snow for his family to have a snowy Christmas in #Gabon. #Africaagain pic.twitter.com/E1oOJRkReW
— Farida Nabourema (@Farida_N) October 28, 2018
#Gabon: Rumors announce the presence of Ali Bongo’s body in an English morgue, could you confirm ?@SkyNewsBreak @BBCBreaking @guardian @Independent @thetimes @TheSun @TheEconomist @Reuters @DailyMirror @thesundaytimes @FinancialTimes @EveningStandard @BelTel @MailOnline @libe pic.twitter.com/bSE3X4Ua7y
— Mag Egomaïgué (@MagEgomaigue) October 28, 2018
Finally did Ali Bongo die or not.
— (@claribcla) October 28, 2018
