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After becoming synonymous with the rule of the Bongo family for 55 years, the military coup in Gabon has been welcomed by its people though persisting problems of wealth inequality and unemployment remain issues to be tackled.

Just as the Gabonese Election Centre (GEC) had announced that Ali Bongo Ondimba (Ali Bongo), leader of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), had won the third consecutive term in the Presidential elections with 64.27 percent votes, the military took over the reins of Gabon on 30 August 2023. Ali Bongo was put under house arrest and his son, Bongo Ventin, along with six others were put behind bars for high treason. Ali Bongo was accused of fraud in elections, malgovernance, and corruption. General Brice Oligui Nguema, who headed the Presidency’s Republican Guard, the country’s most powerful security unit, has now assumed office by dissolving all the institutions of the previous regime. During the past three years, France’s former African colonies, such as Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Tunisia, Niger  and Gabon, have witnessed military coups owing to politically volatile conditions. Several factors including polities divided by fractious ethnicities, fragile democratic institutions, interference in domestic affairs by external powers like France, and rampant corruption have, in effect, cumulatively contributed in fuelling social and political instability, which has eventually resulted in a regular frequency of military coups. Nevertheless, each one of these countries has its unique features that cannot be discounted when looking into the reasons for frequent coups.

"General Brice Oligui Nguema, who headed the Presidency’s Republican Guard, the country’s most powerful security unit, has now assumed office by dissolving all the institutions of the previous regime."

 

Gabon’s unique features 

Among the states in Sub Sharan Africa (SSA), Gabon has its unique features. It is among the eighth largest oil producing countries in the SSA and a member of the cartel-like Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The average oil production in Gabon has been 181,000 barrels of crude a day. In 2020, oil accounted for 38.5 percent of the GDP of Gabon and constituted 70.4 percent of Gabon’s export earnings. After South Africa, Gabon is also the second largest manganese producing country in the SSA. Besides, Gabon’s strategic location in equatorial Africa—a sparsely populated territory with roughly 2.4 million people, fertile land, and coastal resources like fisheries—have also made it an attractive destination for investors. Almost 88 percent of its area is rainforest and, hence, it is a net zero-carbon emission country. Gabon has also other major resources like wood. Thus, developments in resource-rich Gabon are likely to have their impact on contemporary Africa and France, in particular, and international affairs, in general.

"After South Africa, Gabon is also the second largest manganese producing country in the SSA."

 

France’s involvement in Gabon 

Like France’s other former colonies, Gabon has been economically, politically and militarily closely linked to France. There are roughly 80 registered French companies in Gabon. French oil firms like Total Energy, Mauel Prom, and Perenco are operating actively in Gabonese oil fields. France’s Eramet mining group, especially its subsidiary called Camilog, is involved in mining, processing and exporting of manganese. In 2022, within the six-nation Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), Gabon had been France’s biggest export destination. France has deployed roughly 5500 troops in six African countries. Out of these, more than 3000 troops are based in France’s permanent military bases located in states including Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Djibouti. In addition, till November 2022, France was involved, through Operation Burkhane, in military operations against terrorism in the G5 Sahel countries like Chad, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Mali. In essence, the politics and economies of France’s former colonies are interlinked. Moreover, owing to the vertical and asymmetric structural economic, political and military linkages between France and its former colonies, France can never be a neutral country in the developments in the former French Africa.

"Till November 2022, France was involved, through Operation Burkhane, in military operations against terrorism in the G5 Sahel countries like Chad, Niger, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, and Mali."

 

However, with the steady waning of French influence in Africa in countries like Mali and Guinea, Gabon has gradually been distancing itself from its former coloniser. For instance, on 29 June 2022 Gabon joined the British Commonwealth of Nations to diversify its trade-related international partnerships outside the Francophone world. Surprisingly, Ali Bongo appealed for sympathy and help to the community of states in the English language—even though Gabon’s official language is French—so that his legitimate right to rule Gabon after the general elections is restored.

International reactions to coup 

After Ali Bongo’s appeal post the 30^th August military coup in Gabon, the reactions of different organisations and powers within and outside Africa followed familiar trajectories—all of which necessarily demand the restoration of constitutional order. To begin with, inter-state organisations within Africa such as Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS), as well as regional organisations like the African Union (AU) condemned the coup. Furthermore,  the European Union (EU) as well as the United Nations (UN) also condemned it. Likewise, western countries like the US, France, Germany and Spain could not endorse the unconstitutional transfer of power through a military coup. Ironically, in the midst of international demand for restoration of the constitutional order and legitimate rule, the people of Gabon took to the streets in cities like Libreville and Port Gentil to celebrate the military take over. Gabonese students in Senegal, who are part of Gabon’s diaspora, were also in a jubilant mood over the ouster of Ali Bongo. The celebratory mood of average Gabonese citizens can be explained with reference to domestic politics in Gabon.

"Gabonese students in Senegal, who are part of Gabon’s diaspora, were also in a jubilant mood over the ouster of Ali Bongo."

 

Gabon’s internal political and economic situation 

Sadly, Gabon has become synonymous with the rule of the Bongo family, which lasted for more than 55 years. Ali Bongo’s father, Omar Bongo Odimba (Omar Bongo), captured power seven years after Gabon’s independence in 1967 till 1991. Between these years, Gabon was a one-party state under President Omar Bongo. Bongo and his party the PDG ruled the country with an iron fist. Although Gabon became a multi-party state after 1991, Omar Bongo remained the supreme leader till he died in 2009. He was succeeded by his son Ali Bongo, who had earlier served as Minister of Foreign and Defence under his father’s regime. He succeeded his father in 2009 and continued to rule till he was ousted in in the recent coup.

For more than half a century, Gabon’s regime was tailored to suit the Bongo family. Lord Acton’s famous dictum “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” quite aptly applied to the Bongo family rule. In 2007, France’s Financial Police Investigation team had found out that Omar Bongo owned 39 properties in France. In France, he also had 70 bank accounts and nine luxury cars. Strangely, Gabon is often described as the Kuwait of Africa because it is an upper middle-income country with a GDP per capita of US$8,600 in 2022. However, the wealth has not been distributed properly amongst its people. The unemployment rate in Gabon is as high as 37 percent and 35 percent of the people live below the poverty line earning less than US$2 a day. Hence, the wealth of Bongo family appeared conspicuous amidst the widening income inequalities and poverty in Gabonese society.

"The removal of pandemic restrictions also contributed to the growth of the service sector. Gabon’s estimated GDP growth was to be 3.1 percent in 2022 as against 1.5 percent in 2021."

 

Moreover, Ali Bongo’s earlier election victories had also led to violent protests, and, in 2019, there was one failed coup attempt against his regime. Besides, Ali Bongo had to encounter disruptions in the economy because of the COVID-19 pandemic that rendered thousands of people jobless. As the pandemic receded and the pandemic-related restrictions were lifted, Russia’s war with Ukraine accentuated the food crisis in Gabon. Rising prices of food grains coupled with poverty worsened the plight of common citizens. In spite of these crises, Gabon’s economy showed slow signs of recovery in the mining, oil and wood sectors. The removal of pandemic restrictions also contributed to the growth of the service sector. Gabon’s estimated GDP growth was to be 3.1 percent in 2022 as against 1.5 percent in 2021. In 2022, its public debt showed decline to 52 percent of the GDP against 60.7 percent of GDP in 2021. However, this slow recovery process could not alter the image of Ali Bongo’s regime. On top of all this disruption, Ali Bongo opted to conduct Presidential, Parliamentary and Local elections simultaneously for the first time, which led to chaos. In the process, his corrupt regime got themselves embroiled in charges of conducting fraudulent elections that eventually led to Ali Bongo’s downfall.

Before striving to restore constitutional order, the current regime has to work to stabilise the Gabonese economy where different oil- and mining-related activities are carried out smoothly. This can enhance the confidence of investors in the economy. Similarly, expatriates also need to feel secure under the new regime.  Re-establishing any new order invariably is a long drawn-out process and the regime can seek new friends to achieve its tasks. For instance, in the current anti-French sentiment of the coup, China is sensing a new geopolitical opportunity. It has appealed to establish peace to all the contending parties in Gabon. Besides, China has been already working towards building collaborative partnerships in Sahel and the former Francophone countries.

"Ali Bongo’s earlier election victories had also led to violent protests, and, in 2019, there was one failed coup attempt against his regime."

 

Briefly, the prolonged dynastic rule of the Bongo family has come to an end. However, the new regime will be constrained to bring about stable political and economic order in its initial phase. As to how well they address pressing problems of unemployment and poverty in Gabon remains to be seen.

Rajen Harshé (ORF)
22 September 2023

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