Gabon president drops out of FT Africa Summit after Morning Wire story
Last week The Capitalist reported on the controversial opening speaker at the FT’s upcoming Africa Summit: the Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema, who stands accused of kidnapping and torturing the family of his predecessor.
The FT press office brushed off our suggestion that hosting Nguema on 22 October might not align with the newspaper’s brand values, given its commitment to “protecting human rights”.
But less than 48 hours after we ran the story, Nguema mysteriously disappeared from the schedule. His spot remained unfilled until Monday morning, when vice president Alexandre Barro Chambrier replaced him.
The FT had no comment on the late change but Morning Wire understands the official line of the Gabonese government is an unfortunate scheduling conflict with another diplomatic trip.
Sponsors including Bank of America and World Bank were conspicuously quiet when we approached them for comment but perhaps they were less taciturn behind the scenes…
After deposing former leader Ali Bongo in a 2023 coup, the Gabonese president has been accused by the Bongo family of kidnapping and torture, including “electrocution”, “drowning” and “strangulation”
The Capitalist also wonders what impact this might have on the investment drive the president had planned during his London trip. According to a document obtained by Morning Wire, Nguema was slated to attend meetings with high-powered potential “investors and partners” during the Africa Summit in a bid to drum up investment into the country.
After deposing former leader Ali Bongo in a 2023 coup, the Gabonese president has been accused by the Bongo family of kidnapping and torture, including “electrocution”, “drowning” and “strangulation”.
Noureddin Bongo, the son of Ali, was held for almost two years by the regime over allegations of corruption, which he denies. He was released this year following help from fellow Old Etonians Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith. Noureddin’s case is subject to a pre-trial investigation in a French court; Nguema’s regime denies the accusations.
The FT’s Africa Summit website bios of both Nguema and Chambrier fail to mention the 2023 coup, although it did praise Nguema’s “brilliantly obtained” baccalaureate, which feels to us like missing the lede.