Lagos, Nigeria – Shortly after Ali Bongo, president of Gabon since 2009, was deposed by members of the Republican Guard, his personal security unit, he appeared in a short video, visibly frail and urging people to “make some noise” on his behalf.
Sitting on a chair against a backdrop of opulence that only a few Gabonese can aspire to, the long-term ruler of the oil-rich central African country looked helpless.
