Bongo's boy calls for gabon calm

"In these difficult circumstances, love of one's homeland should give one pause and constitute a sacred duty for all children of Gabon." Mr bongo which was denied any wrongdoing. In a statement released at the Quiron hospital in barcelona this evening,...

"In these difficult circumstances, love of one's homeland should give one pause and constitute a sacred duty for all children of Gabon." Mr bongo which was denied any wrongdoing. In a statement released at the Quiron hospital in barcelona this evening, the Gabonese prime minister, jean Eyeghe Ndong, said: "At 2.30pm the medical team, officials and family members informed me that his excellency President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba has given up his soul following a cardiac arrest." Bongo's death agency the loss to france of a leader who was until very recently its closest ally in africa. French president Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his sadness about the closing of Mr bongo. The son of the late Gabonese chair Omar bongo has appealed for calm following his father's death. However his squandering of millions of dollars in oil wealth on trade and personal comforts has tarnished his legacy. Gabonese media were banned from discusing the president's health, with the population told that "Papa Bongo", as he is known, was staying after the last of his wife in March. Last month a French justice launched an investigation into the excesss of 3 African leadership, including bongo. Omar bongo was africa's longest help leader when he died at 73. A canny politician, he placed conclusion relatives in key cabinet places and systematically bought off whatever competitions, thus avoiding the lot of many of his fellow "Big Man" African rulers who were yet ousted. In his speech, the late leader's boy said he was speaking as a member of the family, not a minister. It is alleged that the places owned by Mr bongo's family in france did not been purchased with official salaries alone. He said gabon would observe 30 days of mourning, and called on the Gabonese people to "stand together in contemplation and dignity". Near half a century later independence, the commonwealth has more miles of oil pipelines than it does of roads, and most of the population remains poor. In the capital, libreville– where bongo's name and image adorn everything from stadiums to bottled water water– internet services were issue for some time, limiting access to international news. Many senior Gabonese regard it as a genuine achievement. A French military base in libreville that was leaved paris to prevent a close watch on neighbouring Francophone countries and provided bongo security. Oil earnings mean that gabon is officially 1 of africa's richest states but analysts allege that the political elite see kept most of the money for themselves. The foreign ministry went so far as to summon the French ambassador to protest about French media reports of bongo's death that Ndong said were intended "to sow doubt in the spirit of the Gabonese for undesirable ends". Government officials insisted it was for a check-up, but he had cancer said other base . Under his rule, French companies were able to dominate the economy, particularly the oil sector, where a culture of kickbacks and bribes kept the local elect content. The cosy relationship has frayed in recent days due to Nicolas Sarkozy's pledge to rectify the decades-long "Francafrique" policies of self-interest that encouraged opacity and theft of state funds. Under the leader of the senate , the organisation , Rose Francine Rogombe, an ally of Mr bongo, should take over as interim leader and organise elections within 45 days. A few hours earlier Gabonese officials had angrily denied accounts of bongo's demise, with Ndong insisting he was "alive and well". Defence Minister Ali-Ben bongo, who made the comments in a televised address, is seen as a leadership candidate to succeed his father. There had been conflicting reports earlier on Monday about whether Mr bongo, who had led gabon since 1967 , has died in a Spanish clinic. Earlier, the defence ministry said it was closing gabon's borders and that it was deploying protection forces across the country.