Gabon's top diplomat suddenly dies from heart attack

Gabon's foreign minister Michael Moussa Adamo died Friday (Jan. 20) after suffering a heart attack during a cabinet meeting.

The 62-year-old, an ally of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, suffered a heart attack and died "despite efforts by specialists" to revive him, the government said in a brief statement.

Reacting to his death on Twitter, President Bongo paid tribute to Moussa Adamo, whom he called a "friend [...] and a great diplomat".

Moussa Adamo was born in the northeastern town of Makokou in 1961 and started out as a presenter on national television.

In 2000, he was made chief of staff for the defence minister, who at the time was Bongo.

When Bongo was elected president on the death of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba in 2009, Moussa Adamo served as his special advisor.

After a decade as Gabon's ambassador to the United States until 2020, he became, first, defence minister and then foreign minister in March last year.