LIBREVILLE--Gabonese opposition figure and former African Union commission president Jean Ping says his home was attacked Monday by a group of youths dispatched by the "thug-state" of president Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Ping told AFP that a large group of people set upon his home before supporters of his opposition movement intervened to halt the violence and detain several attackers that he claimed were paid to mount the strike.
"(A) group of about 200 youths, thugs of the regime, arrived and attacked us with stones, lit a fire, (and) broke windows," Ping told AFP, saying he "alerted our supporters, who fought back" and captured around 15 of the aggressors.
One of the main leaders opposing Ali Bongo -- president of Gabon since the 2009 death of his father Omar Bongo, who had ruled since 1967 -- Ping said police refused to stop the onslaught on his home by assailants who told him they "were paid 5,000 F CFA ($8.84) each" to participate in the attack.
"That says a lot about the actions of the thug-state," Ping said.
The political situation in Gabon has grown increasingly tense in past months amid rising anger over Bongo's one-family rule, and a widening wealth gap in oil- and mineral-rich Gabon.
On December 20 a banned march demanding Bongo's ouster ended in violent clashes with police, which authorities say led to the death of a demonstrator, but opposition leaders blame for six fatalities.
Around 100 protestors were arrested during the march, and their trial for various offenses started last week.
AFP
