Gabon suspends newspaper for saying country is on ‘autopilot’

Gabon’ s official media watchdog on Friday said it had suspended a newspaper for three months for an article saying the country was on “ autopilot ” after the hospitalisation of President Ali Bongo in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago .
Lack of official news — along with memories of the secrecy – shrouded demise of Bongo ’ s father , Omar Bongo , who died in office in 2009 after decades at the helm — has set the rumour mill churning at full tilt with suggestions that he is incapacitated or even dead .

L ’ Aube ( Dawn ) newspaper on Monday ran a story headlined “ Gabon on ( very dangerous) autopilot ” and suggested that Prime Minister Lucie Mboussou be appointed an interim president .

The spokeswoman of the High Authority of Communications watchdog said it was not up to the media or anybody else to provide “ dangerous” interpretations of the law .

“ Law is a science and the technical interpretation of legal texts ” was a specialised task , Lucie Akalane said .

The paper ’ s editor, Orca Boudiandza Mouelle , was also banned for six months .

At the end of October , the HAC took Cameroonian television channel Vision 4 off the air for announcing that 59 -year – old Bongo was dead.

Bongo ’ s spokesman Ike Ngouoni said doctors had diagnosed him with “ severe fatigue ” and ordered bed rest .

A foreign source close to the couple told

AFP on Wednesday that Bongo had had a stroke .

Bongo is however still officially expected in Paris on Sunday for a ceremony marking the 100 th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I .

( AFP )

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