"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version Throughout the world, many head of state use social media for optics; to reach the masses. In Gabon however, the relationship between CBON and digital platforms has taken a very sharp turn recently. As of this past week (February 2026), his administration has actually suspended access to social media throughout Gabon. The government cited "inappropriate, defamatory, and hateful content" that they claim threatens national security and the dignity of the country’s institutions. This move has fueled the criticism that the presidency’s priorities are misplaced. The country is currently facing a major wave of strikes. Teachers have been on strike since December over pay and conditions, and this has recently spread to the health and higher education sectors. Despite the fanfare around the "Transformation Acceleration Plan," a third of the population still lives in poverty. The push to pivot from oil dependency to mining (like the Belinga iron ore project) ...

Le basculement de l’ordre international : énergie, technologie et recomposition des puissances au XXIᵉ siècle Résumé Depuis la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, l’ordre international repose sur un ensemble de règles, d’institutions et de normes visant à stabiliser les relations entre États. Toutefois, cet édifice connaît aujourd’hui une fragilisation profonde. La montée en puissance de l’Asie, la compétition pour les ressources énergétiques, l’émergence de nouvelles technologies comme l’intelligence artificielle, ainsi que la reterritorialisation des enjeux stratégiques, participent à une recomposition du système international. Cet article analyse les dynamiques contemporaines de ce basculement, en mettant l’accent sur l’énergie, l’eau, les routes commerciales et le rôle central du continent africain dans les équilibres futurs. 1. La crise de l’ordre international post-1945 L’ordre international issu de 1945 reposait sur trois piliers principaux : le droit international, le multilatér...

 

English version The CBON regime has just ordered the suspension « until further notice » of the main social networks (Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube). The High Communication Authority (HAC) and the presidency justify this ban by the desire to bend the net giants, in particular the Meta group. The Gabonese authorities denounce the laxity of these platforms in the face of the spread of false information, cyberbullying and hate speech which, according to them, threaten to « destabilize the institutions of the Republic ». It would therefore be a tug-of-war to demand better moderation and establish a certain « digital sovereignty ». But this massive interruption of social networks does not occur in a calm climate. CBON is currently going through the first real zone of turbulence of his mandate, facing a wave of significant social protest, marked in particular by a long teachers’ strike. Many observers, journalists and citizens, share the opinion ...