Focus on Gabon

Gabon became a destination of Bantu migrants from Cameroon and eastern Nigeria approximately 2,000 years ago. Around 1470, the Portuguese established outposts in the country and after that, it was frequented by the English, French, and Dutch. Gradually, the French gained control of Gabon’s coastal centers, and moved inland towards the end of the 19th century.

Gabon “voted to become an autonomous republic within the French Community” in 1958, officially declared independence in 1960 and chose its first president, Leon Mba. Mba’s opponent, Jean-Hilaire Aubame, staged a coup in 1964. The French military intervened, and Mba remained president until his death in 1968. At that point, his vice-president Omar Bongo took over and has held power ever since. More on Gabon’s history is available from NationsEncyclopedia.com.

Gabon is “one of the more stable countries in West Africa,” according to its BBC country profile. Perhaps President Bongo has something to do with this stability, despite the fact that he has been accused of squandering money and accepting kickbacks from oil companies. Oil has affected the political and economic climate in Gabon for decades. The continual presence of French troops has helped to quell violence.

The main source of Gabon’s riches is oil. An economic profile of Gabon by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation shows how the country’s oil production has helped bolster its economy “despite falling crude and production reserves.” OEDC recommended in its 2007 study that Gabon diversify its economy and decrease its dependence on oil. Right now, oil accounts for more than 50 percent of the country’s GDP. The OEDC also notes that Gabon’s regulatory and legislative systems don’t currently accommodate economic diversity.

In “Papa Bongo’s 40 years in power,” Guardian journalist Xan Rice looks at the long reign of President Omar Bongo of Gabon, who has buildings, streets, and universities named after him, outlasted five presidents of France, and “ruled largely unchallenged, and mostly without force, despite squandering much of the country's natural wealth and leaving it facing a deeply uncertain economic future.”