A life in pictures: Omar Bongo

2007: Bongo at a European Union and Africa summit in Lisbon Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

1970: France's President Georges Pompidou welcomes Bongo to the Elysée Palace Photograph: Christian Simonpietri/Corbis

1970: Bongo practising tai chi Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

1974: Bongo in Beijing meeting the Communist chairman Mao Zedong Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

1975: Bongo at a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Lima, Peru Photograph: Diego Goldberg/Corbis

1976: Bongo meets French prime minister Jacques Chirac (third from the right) during a state visit to Paris Photograph: Richard Melloul/Corbis

1977: Bongo meets President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in Paris Photograph: Richard Melloul/Corbis

1979: Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and Bongo share a joke during the sixth Franco-African summit in Kigali, Rwanda Photograph: Richard Melloul/Corbis

1980: Bongo in the Gabon capital, Libreville Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

1982: Bongo at his office Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

1995: Jacques Chirac shakes hands with the crowd as Bongo holds his arm after the French president's arrival at Libreville airport. Chirac was in Gabon for the third leg of his tour of France's former African colonies Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters

1999: Bongo speaks to journalists in France Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters

2000: (L-R) Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema with Bongo and President Idriss Deby of Chad during an inter-governmental summit of central African countries in Libreville Photograph: Desirey Minkoh/AFP/Getty Images

2005: President Jacques Chirac is flanked by Bongo and Congo's Sassou Nguesso during a meeting of central African leaders Photograph: EPA

2006: Bongo back at the Elysée Palace in Paris Photograph: Oliver Weiken/EPA

2007: Bongo with Nicolas Sarkozy of France in Libreville Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters