FACTBOX - Africa's longest serving leader, Omar Bongo

(Reuters) - The president of Gabon, Omar Bongo, has died after 41 years in power in the west central African country, the website of French magazine Le Point reported on Sunday, quoting a source close to his entourage.

Here are a few facts about Bongo:

* RISK:

-- The absence of Bongo risks creating a power vacuum in the oil-producing West African country. Opposition leaders fear the president's son Ali Ben Bongo, currently defence minister, will step in.

* BONGO AS PRESIDENT:

-- Bongo took power in the wealthy but sparsely-populated central African state on November 28, 1967, as the designated successor to Gabon's first post-independence ruler Leon Mba.

-- In 1968 he created the Parti Democratique Gabonais, the sole political party for 22 years. He was a staunch opponent of multi-party politics but a series of strikes and demonstrations in early 1990 led to the legalisation of opposition parties in March the same year.

-- Bongo ruled unelected for 26 years until the December 1993 poll which he said was free and fair, although his backers and the 12 challengers traded lively accusations of vote-buying and electoral fraud. U.S. observers to the presidential elections said the poll was chaotic and open to fraud but could not say if it was rigged by incumbent Bongo or the opposition.

-- Bongo won again in 1998 as the main opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou of the Gabonese People's Union boycotted meetings with Bongo to discuss reforming legislation.