Ali Bongo: Who Is Gabon's President Arrested In Army Coup? | General News

It was never all about politics for the young Ali Bongo, however. He showed an early passion for football and music - something inherited from his mother, the Gabonese singer Patience Dabany.

A reputation for being a playboy during his youth was cemented with the release of his 1977 album A Brand New Man, produced by Charles Bobbit, the manager of funk legend James Brown.

"Let me be your darling, Your everything, 'til the end of time," Bongo crooned on the title track.

Within four years of the album release, he had turned his attention to politics.

Ali Bongo served in his father's government as minister of defence, a role he held for 10 years. Before that his first appointment, as Gabon's foreign minister in 1989, ended after three years because of a constitutional change requiring ministers to be over the age of 35. He was 32 at the time.

However, it seems he wasn't immediately seen as a natural successor to his father.

"In the beginning, the Gabonese people didn't see [Ali Bongo] as a serious candidate," said Mr Gaulme.

"But in the end, he has been more thoughtful than he seemed. The first time people saw he could be serious was when he restructured the army."