"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version To defeat the tenacity, the optimism, and the determination of the resistants, Ali Bongo want’s to close the democratic window in Gabon, by giving to the Gabonese people an illusion of democracy. For this, Ali Bongo needs extras from the opposition, to act in the play whose title will be "democratization of the Gabonese parliament". This "democratized" parliament will become the showcase that Ali Bongo will exhibit as the trophy of the wave of democratization underway in Gabon, and the universalization of the support provided by the Gabonese people to his endeavor. The extras are already lining up at the cash desk; they are numerous! The extras will make democratic speeches, and give the impression of the reintroduction in Gabon of a robust multiparty system and competitive elections. But be careful, dear readers, all this will be calculated to the millimeter and the margin of maneuver that will be given to them, will be that w...

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English version It is announced in the press that Gabon wants to acquire shares in the Eramet group. But looking more closely, it is Ali Bongo and BGFI Bank who are, in the greatest secrecy, in the process of conducting this operation. Ali Bongo and BGFI want to buy 11.2% of the French mining group. Knowing that Eramet has a market capitalization of 3350 million Euros, 11% of this company represents 340 million Euros that will have to be disbursed by Ali Bongo and BGFI, that is 226 billion CFA francs. Eramet has put 11.2% of its capital on the market and Ali Bongo and BGFI are buyers. These shares were previously held by Carlo Tassara, which is a holding company owned by the French businessman Romain Zaleski. Gabon which is already a 28.94% shareholder in Comilog, is a subsidiary of Eramet, wants to enter in the capital of the parent company. Coincidentally, Romain Zaleski, the former owner of the 11.2% of Eramet put on sale, also controls 9% of BGFI,...

English version Given the insistence of those who want to push Jean Ping to accept the strengthening of the status quo under Ali Bongo, by going to participate to the misguided next parliamentary elections, this blog proposes the following statement to Jean Ping: Dear compatriots, I, Jean Ping, participated in a presidential election in August 2016. Election that I won hands down. Everyone knows it and the demonstration of my victory does not suffer any doubt. But Ali Bongo proclaimed himself victorious and imposed himself with violence. I promised the people of Gabon to fight for the suffrage they were willing to grant me. Ali Bongo and his regime are organizing a legislative election soon. This election is not part of my objectives because I have already participated in an election in 2016 that I won. Therefore, I do not see why I would go and introduce myself or encourage another election when the results of the previous one were not respected. I do n...

English version According to the latest editorial in Gabonreview, it is more than clear that those who advocate for participation in Ali Bongo’s legislative elections, are well aware of the fact that the main objective of this election is to wash the post-election crisis of 2016, with Asepso soap. For us who like to read between the lines, that is to say listen with the third ear and look with the third eye, this editorial implores Jean Ping to take part in this election. Dear readers, let us ask ourselves the following questions: 1. If those who have decided to go to the legislative elections find that this is the best way to counter Ali Bongo, why do they spend more time imploring Jean Ping to go to these elections than to demonstrate their strategy to counter Ali Bongo? 2. Why do people who tell us every day that Jean Ping is isolated and they have a grassroots base, implore the latter to go with them to these elections? 3. Why do people who believe...

To read the account in its original English click here Pour lire le récit original en anglais cliquer ici Traduction française Gabon L'Afrique devenait verte et agréable "Le Gabon est une destination de voyage relativement sûre", selon le ministère allemand des Affaires étrangères. Le Cameroun était déjà luxuriant et agréable et le Gabon l’était encore d’avantage. Peut-être que tout le monde ne connaît pas le Gabon, mais un Allemand d'Alsace y a construit un hôpital qui est devenu célèbre dans le monde entier. Qui le connaît? Sans une seconde d’hésitation, je me suis approché de la frontière parce que jusqu'à présent tout avait été plus ou moins simple. J'ai été très surprise lorsque le contrôle des frontières n’a pas voulu me laisser passer. Je leur ai demandé si quelque chose n'allait pas avec le visa. Non, tout était en ordre mais les élections approchaient et ils s'inquiétaient de l'agitation. Ils avaient d...

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English version The recent reshuffle of Ali Bongo's government was allegedly the work of Brice Laccruche-Alihanga, his Chief of Staff. Supported by Sylvia Bongo, Brice Laccruche-Alihanga wanted to get rid of Guy Rossatanga-Rignault by sending him away from the presidential palace. Brice Laccruche-Alihanga would have judged, according to La Lettre du Continent, that Yves-Fernand Manfoumbi had become too caricatural to continue to sit in government. Traduction française Le récent remaniement du gouvernement d’Ali Bongo aurait été l’œuvre de Brice Laccruche-Alihanga, son Directeur de Cabinet. Soutenu par Sylvia Bongo, Brice Laccruche-Alihanga aurait voulu se débarrasser de Guy Rossatanga-Rignault en l’éloignant de la Présidence. Brice Laccruche-Alihanga aurait jugé, d’après La Lettre du Continent, qu’Yves-Fernand Manfoumbi était devenu trop caricatural pour continuer à siéger au gouvernement.

English version Dear readers, a compatriot certainly wanting to prove to us that to go to the elections in a dictatorship could bear fruits, made the remark below to us (the first one), which generated an answer from us, then a retort by the compatriot and finally we decided to bring this debate to the general public because it was of broad interest. We offer our exchange below. The compatriot : Diouf and Wade were defeated by the ballot box This blog : Senegal is a true democracy that since Senghor, organizes free and credible elections. Can you make the same argument for Gabon? Wade and Diouf came and went by the polls. They never fired on the people to stay in power. The comparison seems inappropriate. The compatriot : Are you kidding or what? Senghor transferred power to Diouf through institutional arrangements. How could an appointed Prime Minister finish the mandate of a president elected by universal suffrage? Diouf came to power under a rogue l...

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English version Brice Laccruche Alihanga and Frédéric Bongo are purported to be fighting over the sensitive area of security and intelligence beside Ali Bongo. Frédéric Bongo has been for several years the holder of these key areas, as well as the no less important one of the management of Ali Bongo's private domain, which he has entrusted to Nina Patricia Tsounghat and Arsène Emvahou, two relatives from Haut-Ogooué, of course. In addition to being interested in these areas, Brice Laccruche Alihanga would also be coveting the management of the presidential palace ‘special funds. Who will have the biggest biceps to take it all? Traduction française Brice Laccruche Alihanga et Frédéric Bongo se disputeraient le domaine réservé de la sécurité et du renseignement, auprès d’Ali Bongo. Frédéric Bongo est depuis plusieurs années, le détenteur de ces domaines clés, ainsi que celui non moins important de la gestion du cabinet privé d'Ali...

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English version Already engaged in a financial dispute with the Gabonese State, the Italian businessman Guido Santullo also finds himself in conflict with the oil company Maurel & Prom. Indeed, Guido Santullo has just sued Maurel & Prom before the Paris Commercial Court for uncompleted contracts. Guido Santullo, the boss of the construction group Sericom, is asking more than 1.2 million euros (about 800 million CFA francs), to the Gabonese subsidiary of Maurel & Prom for work done by Hydro Public Works Gabon (HTPG), one of the entities of his group; that have not been settled to date. These works are: the maintenance of tracks and platforms as well as civil engineering on the field of Onal, near Lambaréné. But the conflict between Santullo and Maurel & Prom seems older. Indeed, since 2015, a company, Newland Consulting, would have claimed the payment of a commission of 2.73 million euros to HTPG, on a contract linking the construction gr...