"LE GABON ENERVANT" OR "ANNOYING GABON"

English version   Dear readers, like us, you are undoubtedly observing what we shall call the paradox of a certain diaspora. It is, in fact, a cognitive dissonance among certain expatriate elites observed in many diasporas worldwide, and within the Gabonese diaspora in particular. How can we explain an intellectual, who benefits daily from the rights and infrastructure of a rule-of-law state, supporting an authoritarian regime in their home country? For many Gabonese, the August 30, 2023 coup was not viewed as the establishment of a classic dictatorship, but as the only way to end more than half a century of the Bongo dynasty. From this perspective, support for CBON is rationalized not as an embrace of totalitarianism, but as temporary backing for a necessary evil. The academic justifies their stance by arguing that democracy was impossible anyway under the former regime and that with CBON, there are at least some new buildings and roads. Living in the West offers physical, legal, ...

English version   Dear readers, when we look at the spectacle presented to us by CBON and his army of freeloaders, it becomes evident that had Professor Albert Ondo Ossa, the consensus candidate of the Alternance 2023 platform, acceded to the presidency, the break with the old system would have taken a completely different form. His profile as an academic and economist, along with his rhetoric of strict rupture, foreshadowed a more technocratic administration. His immediate circle would logically have been composed of the opposition figures who supported him, which would have mechanically distanced a large portion of the old system's stalwarts and profiteers from the centers of decision-making. However, to be entirely objective, we must also keep in mind a persistent political reality: power inevitably attracts opportunists. Even if Ondo Ossa had become president, he would have had to face the scourge of political transhumance.  Many actors seeking to preserve their interests,...

English version   Court journalism, or deferential journalism, represents the absolute antithesis of the press's primary vocation, which is to inform. When the media transforms into an echo chamber for those in power, the entire democratic contract is fractured. The duty to inform rests on pillars that are incompatible with sycophancy. The fundamental role of journalism is to act as a counter-power, to investigate, and to demand accountability from institutions. Sycophantic journalism, by seeking to please rather than to enlighten, transforms information into public relations. It deprives citizens of the objective analytical framework they need to actively participate in civic life. This deviation does not always stem from mere servility; it is often the product of a corrupted ecosystem: The fear of losing privileged access to decision-makers pushes certain journalists toward self-censorship. State-sponsored perks become levers of silent blackmail. In closed political environments ...