A Gabonese court has sentenced former First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin to 20 years in prison for corruption, money laundering, and embezzlement of public funds. The verdict, delivered in absentia on Wednesday, marks one of the most significant anti-corruption rulings in Gabon’s post-coup political landscape-targeting the family that once held near-absolute control over the oil-rich Central African nation.

Both Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo, who have been living in exile in London since their release on bail earlier this year, were found guilty of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to siphon off state funds while former President Ali Bongo Ondimba was incapacitated following a debilitating stroke in 2018. The court concluded that during this period, the mother-son duo effectively ran the country, exploiting the president’s fragile condition to enrich themselves and their network of allies.

The sentencing marks a dramatic fall from grace for the Bongo family, whose dynasty dominated Gabonese politics for more than five decades. Ali Bongo took power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled Gabon for 42 years and was one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Under their leadership, the Bongo family became synonymous with both political power and immense personal wealth, controlling key sectors of the economy, including oil, mining, and real estate.

However, cracks began to appear after Ali Bongo suffered a severe stroke in late 2018 while attending a summit in Saudi Arabia. During his lengthy recovery, Sylvia Bongo and Noureddin reportedly consolidated control over presidential affairs and financial decisions. Prosecutors alleged that they diverted hundreds of millions of dollars from public accounts and state contracts to private offshore entities and personal properties in France........

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