GABON president Ali Bongo Ondimba found himself at the centre of a scandal in August 2023 when military officers declared a coup against him, seeking to overturn the results of a presidential election.
Ondimba has been president since 2009, shortly after his father Omar Bongo died, and has had wife Sylvia Bongo Ondimba by his side throughout his reign.
Who is president of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba's wife Sylvia
Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, born Sylvia Valentin, is the wife of Ali Bongo Ondimba.
The couple have been married since 1989.
Her father is Édouard Valentin, CEO of the "Omnium gabonais d'assurances et de réassurances" (OGAR) insurance company.
Sylvia grew up in Cameroon and Tunisia and graduated with a degree in corporate management from a French university.
She created her own wealth management firm, Alliance S.A., in 1990 and has also worked for Gabon's largest real estate firm, Gabon Immobilier.
Sylvia became the First Lady of Gabon following her husband's inauguration in October 2009.
In 2011 she created the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation.
The foundation, called "For the family", aims "to improve the plight of vulnerable and disadvantaged people around the world".
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In 2023 Sylvia's husband faced a military coup after he won a disputed election.
Twelve soldiers appeared on national TV on August 30 to announce the "cancellation" of recent election results keeping Ali in power.
It was then reported that Bongo had been placed under house arrest.
Bongo was previously the subject of a coup in 2019 which ultimately failed.
Where is Sylvia Bongo Ondimba from?
Sylvia was born in Paris, France but moved to Douala in Cameroon when she was just a few months old.
After a stint in Tunisia, Sylvia's family decided to move to Gabon when she was a teenager.
It was here where she would later meet her husband, following her return to the country after university.
Do Ali Bongo Ondimba and Sylvia have any children?
Ali and Sylvia have welcomed three children throughout the course of their marriage.
Their three sons are called Noureddin Edouard, Jalil, and Bilal.
Ali also has a daughter from a previous relationship called Malika.
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Sylvia was not Ali Bongo's only marriage as he was previously also wed to Inge Bongo in 1991.
Inge, who lived in Los Angeles, California, filed for divorce in 2015.
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