(MENAFN) Ousted Gabonese leader Ali Bongo and his immediate family have been freed from house arrest and flown to Angola, according to African Union (AU) Chairperson Joao Lourenco.

The development took place shortly after Lourenço, who also serves as Angola’s president, visited Gabon and engaged in discussions with Brice Oligui Nguema—the military figure who orchestrated the August 2023 coup that removed Bongo from power.

In a statement released on Facebook, Angola’s presidency stated: “Following the demonstrations made by the President …of Angola and the President-in-charge of the African Union, Joao Lourenco, together with President Brice Oligui Nguema, from Gabon, the Bongo family has been released and has just arrived in Luanda.”

This declaration confirmed the family's transfer to the Angolan capital.

Last week, Bongo’s spouse, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, and their son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, were shifted from prison to house arrest.

They had been held for over a year facing accusations including financial misappropriation, graft, and illicit financial operations.

They were relocated to the family’s residence in Libreville, Gabon’s capital, where Ali Bongo had also been confined since being ousted.

Previously, local media reported that both Sylvia and Noureddin were placed under judicial oversight and were expected to comply with ongoing legal processes until their court hearings.

Sylvia Bongo was officially taken into custody in October 2023, several months following the coup. Her legal representative had criticized her detention, labeling it “arbitrary” and “illegal.”

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