In Gabon, four union leaders, all members of the Dynamique unitaire labor federation, one of the main civil service labor unions, were apprehended between Thursday and Friday in Libreville. They are Simon Ndong Edzo, Sylvie Nkogue Mbot, Jean Bosco Boungoumou and Ghislain Malanda. Dynamique unitaire, their labor federation, stated on July 2 last that Ali Bongo was dead.

No authorities have confirmed these arrests. Dynamique unitaire is adamant that the four union leaders were "kidnapped" at their homes by police or gendarmes. The modus operandi was the same: plainclothes agents were seen circling the homes of those in question. As soon as they were certain the sought-after person was home, they called in armed personnel in fatigues who launched the assault.

The motive for this raid is not yet known. Dynamique unitaire in its statement speaks of a crackdown triggered following its president's bombshell declaration. Jean Rémy Yama notably stated that "Dynamique unitaire has the firm conviction that Ali Bongo is dead. He is no more. "

The Minister of Interior and Justice, Edgard Anicet Mboumbou Miyakou, promptly reacted by promising to prosecute the unionist in court. Jean Rémy Yama discretely left Gabon for France. Some of his colleagues have gone into hiding. They fear they too will be apprehended.

For his part, opposition figure Privat Ngomo was arrested Friday in the middle of the afternoon after blocking the waterfront boulevard and reading a statement in front of the French embassy calling on French authorities to pressure Gabon to declare a power vacancy due to Ali Bongo's state of health. He also called on France to recognize the victory of Jean Ping, three years after the 2016 presidential election.