Two weeks ago the then-longest-serving elected head of state of any country in the world, Omar Bongo, died at the age of 73, having been President of the African country of Gabon for 42 years. Gabon’s main source of income is oil, and the available evidence suggests that President Bongo benefitted extensively from secret commissions paid by the French oil company Elf Aquitaine, because at the time of his death he owned 33 properties in France with an estimated value of $190 million, and that is thought to represent only a small portion of his personal wealth.
In the 1970s and 1980s he won the presidential elections in Gabon with over 99.5% of the vote, commanding the sort of popularity that only Saddam Hussein could rival. After 1990 his share of the vote fell below 80%, but it is safe to say that the style of democracy in Gabon has not closely resembled that of Western countries. Nonetheless, his particular style of kleptocracy has been less damaging to his country than what has occurred in many other African countries.
Bongo was a particularly skilful politician, working his way up from being a rebel before Gabon achieved its independence from France, then being a rising star in the government of Léon M’ba, the first president of Gabon, then succeeding him as second president of Gabon. He maintained very close ties with many French politicians and with political leaders from many countries, and as a result exerted a considerable influence in many international affairs.