"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

  English version  On October 21, 2026, Gabonese-born Dieudonné Ella Oyono was sworn in as Quebec's Minister of International Relations, La Francophonie and Foreign Trade. On Gabonese social media, congratulations poured in from all sides. That includes the kounabélistes, the ardent defenders of the government in Libreville. We can only rejoice to see a fellow citizen succeed. But we may also ask: what exactly are they celebrating? What this career rewards Mr. Ella Oyono's success did not fall from the sky. It rests on a specific system: An open civil service.  He spent about ten years as a senior official at Quebec's Ministry of the Economy, then headed economic development for the City of Montreal. Contested elections.  He had to win over the voters of his riding, against opponents free to campaign. Peaceful transfer of power.  His party, long in opposition, has just replaced the outgoing government, which handed over the keys without drama. A free press. ...

  English version  On October 21, 2026, Dieudonné Ella Oyono, a Gabonese-born economist, was sworn in as Quebec's Minister of International Relations, La Francophonie and Foreign Trade. His career fits in a few lines: about ten years as a senior official at Quebec's Ministry of the Economy, then head of economic development for the City of Montreal, before joining the government. This is a source of pride for Gabon. It also raises an uncomfortable question: how many Gabonese talents could have served their own country if doors opened on merit rather than connections? Only meritocracy sets us free. Here is why Gabon has everything to gain from it. The reality: the law requires competitive exams, practice ignores them In Gabon, about 80% of public servants were hired directly on the basis of their credentials, against only 20% through competitive exams ( Gabonreview ). Yet the 1991 civil service statute makes the competitive exam the normal route into public service; direct hiri...