Pegasus Project

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During Gabon's 2019 leadership transition turmoil, Moroccan intelligence reportedly eyed associates of then-President Ali Bongo for possible Pegasus spyware deployment.

Credit: Mélody da Fonseca

Key findings

Noureddin Bongo Valentin, son of Ali Bongo, along with Brice Laccruche Alihanga, his top aide, surfaced on a roster of possible Pegasus spyware targets
The roster further encompassed phone details for two prominent 2016 election rivals of Ali Bongo: Jean Ping and Dieudonné Minlama Mintogo
Such targeting unfolded even amid strong bilateral bonds, per a source inside Morocco's DGST who referenced shared training sessions between the intelligence outfits.

By José Bautista, Eloïse Layan, Hicham Mansouri, Phineas Rueckert and Guillaume Vénétitay

July 16, 2026

In March 2019, persistent uncertainties filled the halls of Libreville, Gabon's capital in this modest oil-producing nation. What lay ahead for President Ali Bongo Ondimba after a decade in office? Might a successor emerge, and if so, which candidate?

The contest for power ignited four months prior. On October 24, 2018, President Bongo, offspring of longtime ruler Omar Bongo, endured a stroke. Following recovery in Saudi Arabia for one month, he transferred to Rabat, Morocco, on November 28.

Under two months later, an attempted overthrow further destabilized the administration. Led by Lieutenant Kelly Ondo Obiang of the Republican Guard, the effort collapsed, resulting in his detention. Even after Bongo reasserted authority, doubts persisted regarding his prospects. Public sightings grew scarce, fueling speculation that the Gabonese leader had perished and been substituted by an imposter.

Contenders maneuvered into position - Pascaline Bongo Ondimba, Ali Bongo's sibling and prior aide to her father Omar Bongo; Frédéric Bongo, a half-brother heading Gabon's intelligence apparatus; Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo, head of the Constitutional Court and Omar Bongo's companion.

Yet two figures gained prominence: Noureddin Bongo Valentin, Ali Bongo's oldest son, and Brice Laccruche Alihanga, a youthful Franco-Gabonese individual serving as presidential chief of staff.

Noureddin spent much of his youth overseas, attending elite British institutions before entering private enterprise. Following his father's stroke in 2018, he entered the political arena. Alihanga, meanwhile, was viewed by some as the actual power behind the throne in Gabon.

Amid this transition upheaval, a quiet watcher surfaced.

On March 5, 2019, contact details for about 10 Gabonese political actors joined a roster of potential Pegasus spyware targets, encompassing Noureddin Bongo and Brice Laccruche, based on our reporting. This tool, able to infect mobile devices remotely without detection, is marketed to states by Israel's NSO Group. Moroccan intelligence appears responsible, despite the nations' alliance.

Noureddin Bongo and Brice Laccruche Alihanga were not alone in drawing Moroccan attention. Two aides from their so-called young team circle also appeared on the roster. Rivals received scrutiny too, including former candidates Jean Ping and Dieudonné Minlama Mintogo. (Absent device forensics, Forbidden Stories cannot verify actual infections.)

The attempts coincided with a pivotal juncture in Gabon.

For the Bongo administration, this represented a phase of notable fragility, noted a Gabon specialist speaking anonymously. It comes as little surprise that Morocco would track developments to assess alignments and schemes among players.

We train their personnel.

To grasp Moroccan motives for monitoring Gabonese counterparts, one must revisit prior decades.

Morocco functions somewhat as Gabon's overseer, the specialist added, acting as protector of the regime in a patron-client dynamic.

This bond traces to King Hassan II's era, observed Safir, a former DGST operative now in exile.

Moroccan personnel maintain a steady presence in Gabon, Safir noted, handling work and monitoring under counterterrorism pretexts. They track Iranian-linked individuals, given infiltration concerns in West Africa.

Per Safir, Morocco dispatches agents regularly to Gabon on well-compensated assignments, though they reportedly dislike local cuisine. Open-source reviews by Forbidden Stories indicate one such operative, Farid S., traveled extensively including to Herzliya, prior NSO Group base until 2024, and Libreville.

In Gabon, we provide their training, Safir stated in discussions. Roughly 20 individuals rotate through every six months.

Tweet about the meeting between King Mohammed VI and Ali Bongo on December 3, 2018 (Credit: Twitter / Screenshot by Forbidden Stories)

Mohammed VI, successor to Hassan II, made frequent Gabon visits and strengthened ties first with Omar Bongo then Ali Bongo. He favored Moroccan firms and funded scholarships for African students in Moroccan academies.

Open records show Gabon sends troops to Morocco for instruction. Current leader Brice Oligui Nguema graduated from the Meknes academy and served briefly as military attaché in Rabat. Moroccans in turn gained Gabon's backing on Western Sahara issues.

Yet per our sources, Gabon's SILAM surveillance body reportedly lacked knowledge of Pegasus use on senior officials there. It remains unclear if Ali Bongo, still in Morocco during March 2019, received notification.

The nation faced upheaval. For Morocco, grasping their plans proved vital, stated a security contact near the Moroccan kingdom.

Closure of the young team period

Late March 2019 saw Ali Bongo's return to Gabon. Weakened, he receded from view. Reports suggested the young team, including Noureddin Bongo and his mother Sylvia, held real influence.

Contemporary accounts indicated Laccruche began eclipsing Noureddin. A cabinet shift removed him as chief of staff; he faced arrest in December 2019 amid broad graft probes. Noureddin Bongo entered government as General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs.

Four years on, a 2023 military takeover occurred. Republican Guard head Brice Oligui Nguema assumed control. Noureddin, Sylvia and young team members faced detention on corruption counts including fund misappropriation, laundering and office abuse. They rejected the accusations. Noureddin received a 20-year sentence in absentia. In Le Monde, he disputed the claims and alleged prison mistreatment.

Some targets voiced beliefs of routine monitoring and used multiple phones to evade detection. On Pegasus specifically, they questioned whether such costly software targeted them.

Jean Ping, the 2016 candidate whose number appeared on the March 18, 2019 list, expressed no surprise. Wiretapping occurs routinely in Gabon, he noted. If confirmed, a complaint might follow. Mintogo had not replied to queries by deadline.

Contacted parties including Noureddin Bongo, Brice Laccruche Alihanga, the Kingdom of Morocco, Gabon's government and Ali Bongo's representative offered no responses.