In Gabon, confined at home since his overthrow on August 30, 2023, former president Ali Bongo is now deprived of his inseparable friends. These are not close collaborators, but rather a pair of birds which, along with other birds belonging to the former head of state, were stolen from him. Unknown persons infiltrated the grounds of his private residence during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday and took away around twenty birds, as well as the stock of food. The announcement was made by his lawyer Me Gisèle Eyue Bekalé. A theft that worries the former president.
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It was when he took office on Wednesday morning that the animal worker responsible for maintaining these birds discovered all the damaged cages and the birds missing.
According to a list communicated to RFI, the alleged thugs took away around twenty birds: parrots, pink flamingos, lovebirds, a turaco, lorises and macaws which adorned the vast garden of the former Gabonese president, as well as a kea, this mountain parrot which only lives in New Zealand…
Me Gisèle Eyue Bekalé claims to have noted the situation on Thursday, in the presence of the former head of state of Gabonbitter about the disappearance of his pet birds, which had been, according to him, very useful during his rehabilitation after the stroke which struck him in October 2018…
The residence ofAli Bongo is monitored 24 hours a day by elements of the Republican Guard, armored vehicles and surveillance cameras. If the theft did not take place with the complicity of his guards, then Ali Bongo considers himself poorly guarded and now fears for his safety, he reportedly confided to his lawyer.
A collector of felines, he has already seen his private menagerie transformed into a zoo by the CTRI (Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions), the body of the military in power, to the great joy of the people of Libreville.
Also readGabon: opening of a former Bongo animal park transformed into a public zoo
When contacted, the authorities did not respond to our requests.