Gabon

Heads of state pay last respects to Omar Bongo

Article published on the 2009-06-16 Latest update 2009-06-16 10:56 TU

Funeral of Omar Bongo
(Photo : Issouf Sanogo/AFP)

Fifteen heads of state, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, are attending the state funeral of Omar Bongo Ondimba in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner and former president Jacques Chirac are also present. Bongo was Africa's longest-serving leader.

Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to be joined by the Presidents of Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Sao Tome and Togo.

The heads of state are to file past Bongo's coffin in the presidential palace where it has lain in state since last Thursday. The coffin will then head to Franceville, the capital of Bongo's native southeastern Haut-Ogouue region, where he will be buried on Thursday.

Bongo's death has raised fears of a power vacuum in the country. Interim President Rose Francine Rogombe has asked the government to come up with a schedule for presidential elections which must take place within 45 days.

Bongo came to power in 1967 with French support, but his relations with Paris were marred in his last months by a probe into allegations of embezzlement.

He died last week aged 73 at a private clinic in Spain.