There have been deep rooted speculations over the nationality of the Gabonese president Ali Bongo, with many suggesting that he is of Nigerian heritage.

At the moment there is crisis in the Central African country and part of the grievances is that they cannot have a foreigner (Nigerian) ruling them.

Security forces were out in large numbers on Saturday to prevent hundreds of demonstrators from gathering at Libreville’s Rio Intersection for a rally that had been outlawed by the interior ministry the day before.

“Ali, get out! 50 years is too long!” the crowd chanted.

President Ondimba took office after the 2009 death of his father Omar Bongo, who had been in power since 1967.

Ahead of the demo the United Nations’ special representative for central Africa, Abdoulaye Bathily, had urged the government and the opposition to commit to dialogue to prevent “a deep crisis” in the former French colony.

The political climate in Gabon worsened recently with the publication of a book by journalist Pierre Pean that accuses the president of having falsified his birth certificate and diplomas.

In November 2014, the opposition filed a complaint against the president but prosecutors threw it out.