🇬🇦GabonCentral Africa
British delegation explores investment opportunities in Gabon's energy, infrastructure, and poultry sectors
via Gabon Review2 min read
A delegation of 16 British companies, led by UK High Commissioner to Gabon Simon Day, visited Libreville on April 16, 2026, to explore investment opportunities in Gabon. The delegation met with Vice-President of the Government Hermann Immongault, expressing interest in key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, digital technology, and poultry production. Immongault highlighted strategic priorities, including the Mitougou dam project in Nyanga province, aimed at improving access to water and electricity. The British companies visited major economic sites like the Nkok Special Investment Zone and Owendo port, holding working sessions with Gabonese authorities on road infrastructure, mineral processing, gas, and digital development projects. Atam Sandhu, head of the Commonwealth delegation, noted this was his third mission, indicating progress and the finalization of agreements aligned with Gabon's vision. The Gabonese government also emphasized its goal of reducing food import dependency, inviting British investors to participate in local poultry production, with an aim to ban imported broiler chicken by 2027. The Gabonese side called for continued dialogue with partners to support the country's development, as international investors show increasing interest in Gabon's economic diversification efforts.
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In Libreville, thirty forest and judicial agents enhanced their investigation and criminal procedure skills from April 14 to 16, 2026, as part of the CAFI 2 project, to better combat environmental crime. The training, organized by the Ministry of Water and Forests with technical support from The Nature Conservancy TNC and funding from the Central African Forest Initiative CAFI, focused on strengthening competencies in investigation, judicial procedures, and evidence management. The objective was to improve the effectiveness of field missions and ensure the legal soundness of cases submitted to the courts. Christiana Assambou, Deputy Public Prosecutor at the special prosecutor's office, emphasized the importance of formal rules in forest offense investigations, noting that non-compliance can invalidate procedures. She also highlighted the need for reinforced national and international cooperation due to the often cross-border nature of these offenses. Commandant Mapaha Eurol Luce, Head of the Regulation and Litigation Department at the Directorate General of Forests, acknowledged existing shortcomings among many judicial police officers in drafting reports and conducting field investigations. The training aims to address these deficiencies, preventing procedural invalidation in court. Key topics included methods for observing and suppressing offenses, legal qualification of facts, and mandatory mentions in official reports. This initiative marks a significant step in professio
Must ReadGabon has assumed the presidency of the World Bank's Africa Group II, a strategic position now held by the Minister of Planning, Louise Pierrette Mvono. This appointment, effective April 16, 2026, is seen as a diplomatic victory for Gabon, placing a technocratic profile at the forefront to advocate for the interests of 23 African countries amidst a challenging international economic landscape. The handover ceremony formalized this transition, occurring at a critical time for African economies facing rising financing costs and persistent global crises. This move enhances Gabon's visibility and influence in international negotiations concerning development financing and allows Libreville to play a more significant role in shaping policies that support African economies, particularly regarding access to concessional financing and debt management. Louise Pierrette Mvono's designation highlights a deliberate choice for a technocratic leader, with expectations for her to provide concrete solutions to the economic and structural challenges faced by member countries. She succeeds Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti's Minister of Economy and Finance. The new president has outlined clear priorities, including youth employment, increased support for small states, climate action, strengthening multilateralism, and improved coordination between the IMF and the World Bank. Supported by Vice-Governor Thierry Minko, she aims to leverage this presidency to achieve tangible results for member count
Must ReadAli Akbar Onanga Y'Obegue, Secretary-General of the PDG and a law professor at Omar Bongo University, has analyzed the arrest of former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, concluding that the procedure is legally flawed. Based on a statement from the Ensemble pour le Gabon EPG party, of which Bilie-By-Nze is president, Onanga Y'Obegue identified three significant legal issues. First, he noted the apparent absence of a judicial warrant for the arrest carried out by the Directorate General of Research DGR. He stated that an arrest by DGR agents without a clear judicial warrant for a common financial dispute would constitute an arbitrary arrest. Second, he argued against the personal imputation of facts, explaining that debts incurred during the 2008 Fête des cultures, a public service mission, were state commitments, not personal liabilities of the minister. Administrative law dictates that public officials cannot be held personally responsible for debts arising from their official duties. Third, Onanga Y'Obegue highlighted the issue of prescription, as the events date back to 2008. He noted that the Gabonese Penal Procedure Code sets a ten-year limitation period for misdemeanors, and OHADA law, applicable in Gabon, provides for five years for commercial claims. In both cases, the deadline has been significantly exceeded, making an arrest procedure in 2026 for 2008 events, without an established interrupting act, legally baseless. Beyond the legal aspects, Onanga Y'Obegue
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