Gabon’s former prime minister and leading opposition figure Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze was arrested at his home on Wednesday by agents of the General Directorate of Investigations, an intelligence agency, his party announced on Thursday.
The party, Ensemble pour le Gabon (EPG), described the arrest as “arbitrary, brutal, and manifestly contrary to the fundamental principles of the rule of law.” According to EPG, the arrest relates to a five-million Central African franc debt ($8,999) from 2008. At the time, Bilie-By-Nze was one of the organisers of the National Cultural Festival, and a service provider remains unpaid.
Bilie-By-Nze served as the last prime minister under former president Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was ousted in a military coup in August 2023. He came second in last year’s election, the first since the coup, losing to junta leader Brice Oligui Nguema.
EPG called on authorities to “act responsibly and guarantee a peaceful democratic framework, in accordance with Gabon’s national and international commitments.”
