"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version   This weekend, local residents blocked National Route 1 (RN1) near Essassa—an area located between Libreville and Kango, not far from Ntoum—to protest against three consecutive days of power outages. Dear readers, the contrast is indeed striking: the grand inauguration of the brand-new "Omar Bongo Ondimba" Convention Center, a showcase symbol that CBON wishes to project of Gabon, cruelly coincides with an intensification of power cuts in households. This glaring mismatch fuels deep frustration, but above all, it highlights the profound structural dysfunctions of the Gabonese power grid managed by the SEEG. If major buildings like the new Convention Center can operate, it is generally because they benefit from high-priority grid lines or, as is increasingly the case for new constructions, dedicated hybrid systems (high-capacity industrial backup generators). The primary issue in the Greater Libreville area lies not only in power generation, but mostly in energ...

English version   Dear readers, here are the key takeaways from the Council of Ministers of May 22, 2026, analyzed by this blog through the lens of governance, public finances, and institutional dynamics. We are analyzing these points based on the statements in the communiqué rather than judging the relevance of the content. 1. Macroeconomic Framework and Budgetary Realism The government is undertaking a major readjustment of its financial forecasts, marking a return to a certain rigor dictated by the requirements of the IMF and CEMAC, while seeking to avoid increased tax pressure. Overall budget decrease:  The state budget has been revised downward, going from 6,358.2 billion FCFA to 5,495.2 billion FCFA (a contraction of approximately 863 billion). Downward revision of growth:  The growth projection has been reduced from 6.5% to 4.0%, despite an anticipated slight increase in oil production and prices. The sharp drop in forecasts for timber (-36.2%) and rubber (-76.9%) ...

  English version   Is a Western-cut shirt, made from a fabric bearing the BGFI Bank logo, a traditional outfit? Obviously, the kounabelists will answer in the affirmative; because for them, everything CBON advocates is inherently good. But what is a traditional outfit? A traditional outfit (or traditional costume) is a set of clothing, adornments, and accessories that reflects the cultural identity, history, and geographical environment of a group of people, a region, or a country. Unlike contemporary fashion, which evolves rapidly with global trends, traditional clothing is a heritage passed down from generation to generation, deeply rooted in a people's cultural legacy. Beyond its purely aesthetic aspect, the traditional costume has always fulfilled specific social and practical functions: ·          It visually indicates belonging to a community, an ethnic group, or a nation (for example, the Scottish tartan pattern i...

English version   An Ebola epidemic is currently raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. This situation raises legitimate concerns for the entire Central African region, including Gabon.  The threat is taken all the more seriously as it involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is not yet an approved vaccine (unlike the Zaire strain). Is Gabon ready? Gabon is no stranger to the Ebola virus, having suffered several epidemics between 1994 and 2002. The country therefore possesses experience and health protocols regarding the management of hemorrhagic fevers. The CIRMF (Franceville Medical Research Center) is one of Gabon's greatest assets. This high-security (BSL-4) laboratory is a continental reference. It is fully capable of rapidly diagnosing and identifying the virus strain, preventing any loss of time from sending samples abroad. Since the current strain is the Bundibugyo virus, Gabon cannot rely on preventive vaccination campaigns. The response relies ...