President of Gabon, Ali Bongo hospitalised after suffering 'severe fatigue'

President Ali Bongo of Gabon has been taken into medical care after suffering a bout of exhaustion during a trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, four days after he was hospitalised.

The President’s spokesman Ike Ngouoni said in a statement that the 59-year-old leader was in the Saudi capital for a flagship economic forum when he fell ill. “The doctors who assessed him said he is suffering from severe fatigue due to extremely high levels of activity in recent months,” he said.  

Bongo is feeling better and has been told to rest, Ngouoni added, while calling for “vigilance” against “fake news” following false reports of his death. A Cameroon TV station had announced live on air on Saturday that the Gabon president had died, without providing any evidence, he said.  

Bongo was scheduled to appear Wednesday on a panel at the Future Investment Initiative forum, but was not seen during the discussion. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited him in Riyadh’s King Faisal hospital that evening, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Thursday.