NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, knew well the threat of military coups in his part of the world. But he swore one wouldn’t happen to him. “Rest assured that I will never allow you and our country Gabon to be hostages to attempts at destabilization. Never,” Bongo declared this month as the central African nation marked 60 years of independence from France. A longtime politician and one-time funk musician, the 64-year-old took office in 2009 after the death of his father, who ruled Gabon for 41 years. Now, Bongo is under house arrest by mutinous soldiers, accused of “unpredictable, irresponsible governance.”
