Police raids mar the luxurious haven of the super-rich leaders and their families.

Gabon's voters went to the polls in legislative elections expected to hand an easy victory to President Ali Bongo's ruling party.

Three African leaders and their families are to be investigated in Paris for allegedly embezzling state funds to acquire vast assets in France.

Gabon's voters will head to closely guarded polling stations on Sunday to choose a successor to Omar Bongo.

Gabon's government will ask the country's top court to confirm Senate President Rose Francine Rogombe as interim leader after the death of Omar Bongo.

Gabon's President Omar Bongo has died after 41 years in power in the Central African country, French media said on Sunday.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was due to attend a rescheduled peace accord signing with Chad's President Idriss Déby Itno on Thursday after failing to show up on Wednesday and telling mediators he had a headache. The mediators hope the non-aggression pact will end years of hostility between Sudan and Chad.

France is trying to shed its reputation as "Africa's policeman" but, despite efforts to involve European partners in peacekeeping missions, there are no signs it will hang up its baton just yet. France won backing last month for an European Union force to be deployed soon in east Chad and Central African Republic, where it already has troops stationed.