"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version The High Communication Authority (HAC) of Gabon has just announced a radical measure: the immediate suspension of all social media throughout the national territory, until further notice. The analysis of the official speech delivered on February 17, 2026 reveals several interesting elements about the current posture of CBON power: The argument for state security: The HAC justifies this prohibition by implicitly stating that online freedom of expression now threatens to destabilize the institutions of the Republic and endanger national unity. The democratic paradox: The press release tries to reconcile the irreconcilable by stating that this censorship ironically aims to protect « democratic advances and achievements », even though the cutting of social media is historically one of the most coercive tools for controlling public space in dictatorships. Historically, the use of a digital blackout rarely occurs in times of serenity. This is often an urgent reaction...

 

  English version In 1993, about 600 prominent African-Americans gathered in Libreville, for the “Second African African-American Summit”. The first such summit was held in the Ivory Coast by Felix Ouphouet Boigny.  One of the towering figures of these summits has just passed away, the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Rev. Jesse Jackson was frequently referred to as one of the last "giants" or "lions" of the Civil Rights Movement because his life and career served as a direct bridge between the foundational struggles of the 1960s and modern American politics. As many of his contemporaries passed away, Jackson remained one of the few living leaders who was not only present but held a prominent role during the most defining moments of the era. Jackson was one of the last living members of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inner circle. He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1965, participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches, and was appointed by King to...

English version Many compatriots talk about debt, without really knowing what it is and how this debt impacts our country’s finances. We offer you very simple explanations to facilitate everyone’s understanding. When a state like Gabon issues a Eurobond (or eurobond), it borrows money from international financial markets, usually in a strong foreign currency such as the US dollar (USD) or the euro (EUR), rather than in its local currency. Borrowing is easy, it is repaying which is complicated. The State does not repay any principal during the life of the loan. He only pays the interest (called the “coupon”) each year (or every semester). The total borrowed capital must be repaid in one go, at the very last year of maturity. Let’s take an example: Borrowed capital (Main): the equivalent of 100 billion CFA francs. Maturity (Maturity): 5 years. Interest rate (Coupon): Let’s set it at 8%, which is a realistic and common rate for current African sovereign debt. Here is the schedule of disbu...