Commonwealth: Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba congratulates new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak was appointed new Prime Minister of Great Britain on Tuesday, 25, 2022 © ARR

Rishi Sunak, 42, was officially appointed on Tuesday 25 October by King Charles III.

«I offer my most sincere congratulations to the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. Rishi Sunak,» wrote Ali Bongo Ondimba on Facebook and Twitter.

«This appointment, symbolically strong, is an opportunity to deepen relations between Gabon and Britain bilaterally and through the Commonwealth,» said the Gabonese leader.

Ali Bongo Ondimba has a special attachment to Britain. London has long since replaced Paris as the home base for the president and his wife in Europe. It was in London that their eldest son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, went to university.

Moreover, the Gabonese president has long been close to the now King of the United Kingdom, Charles III. The two men share a common interest in environmental and biodiversity issues.

On 25 June, Gabon officially joined the Commonwealth family, thus anchoring the country in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Ali Bongo Ondimba and Rishi Sunak have a common relationship. He is Gagan Gupta, also of Indian origin, who heads the multinational Olam in Africa which is the largest private employer in Gabon.