Campus Mbongui 2026: Central African languages convened to address biodiversity
via Gabon Review5 min read
The Campus Mbongui, an international summer school, will officially open on July 24 in Libreville, focusing on languages, indigenous knowledge, and ecology. Organized by the "Bantuphonie: endangered languages, indigenous knowledge and biodiversity" BLSB network, a UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs program established in 2018 at Omar Bongo University, in partnership with the ECCAS Commission, the event brings together eleven countries, forty young researchers, and twenty international experts. The initiative challenges conventional conservation strategies by asserting that local languages and the ecological knowledge they embody are crucial for preserving biodiversity. The scientific framework involves four universities: Omar Bongo in Gabon, Yaoundé I in Cameroon, Marien Ngouabi in Congo, and Lumière Lyon 2 in France. Professor Patrick Mouguiama-Daouda, director of the Language, Culture and Cognition laboratory, coordinates the international effort. From July 27 to August 8, participants will engage in academic sessions and field immersions across the Congo Basin, exploring biocultural approaches, the interface between human and life sciences, and traditional ecological practices with local communities. Organizers emphasize that indigenous knowledge systems are dynamic and holistic, and ignoring them means losing a key to understanding ecosystems and ensuring sustainable biodiversity preservation. This approach also contributes to scientific sovereignty for sub-regional states as they neg
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After two days of intensive work in Libreville, the national workshop for the validation of Gabon's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NBSAP concluded on July 21, 2026. Experts finalized technical proposals for the document, which will now be transmitted to the government, marking a crucial step towards implementing Gabon's commitments to biodiversity preservation. The workshop gathered experts, public administrations, technical and financial partners, and civil society representatives. Participants expressed satisfaction with the outcomes after a thorough review of the document, which is designed to guide national biodiversity conservation policies. During the final day, five working groups refined the action plan, focusing on activities, targets, monitoring indicators, and the overall implementation chain. Aimé Serge Mibambani Ndimba, focal point for the Convention on Biological Diversity, explained that the work involved amending and validating proposals within the action plan, reviewing activities in relation to targets, and establishing indicators and the projection chain. Delphin Mapaga, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, closed the proceedings by commending the contributions and emphasizing that technical validation is merely the first step, with the true challenge lying in effective field implementation. He instructed the coordination team to incorporate final observations to finalize the definitive version for government approval before lau
Gabon's Ministry of the Sea, Fisheries, and Blue Economy announced on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the interception of three Congolese-flagged trawlers on July 18 in the Grand Sud Aquatic Reserve off Mayumba. The vessels, identified as Ron Chang 19, Ron Chang 26, and Chang Hui 1, were suspected of illegal, unreported, and unregulated IUU fishing within Gabonese waters. This operation was part of the second maritime patrol of Operation Albacore 2026, an initiative to enhance surveillance of Gabon's exclusive economic zone and protect national fishing resources. Approximately 20 tons of fish products were seized from the intercepted vessels. The trawlers were diverted to Libreville for legal and administrative proceedings. Two other vessels involved in the incident reportedly fled. The Ministry emphasized that this intervention demonstrates the government's commitment to combating IUU fishing, preserving national fishery resources, and upholding Gabon's maritime sovereignty. The Ministry also highlighted the importance of operational cooperation between national services and NGOs in strengthening surveillance and control capabilities in sensitive fishing areas. The department, led by Minister Aimé Martial Massamba, reaffirmed that all violations of Gabonese fishing legislation will be prosecuted and announced continuous reinforcement of surveillance and control measures to ensure sustainable exploitation of the country's fishery resources.
During his official visit to France, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema announced on July 21, 2026, in Paris, the return of Alain Giresse to the technical staff of the Gabonese national football team, the Panthères. Giresse, who previously coached Gabon to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, is expected to assume the role of national technical director. The announcement was made during a gala dinner hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace on July 22, 2026. President Oligui Nguema paid tribute to several French football figures before confirming the 72-year-old technician's return, stating, "I announce to everyone that Alain Giresse, present here, will join the staff of the Gabonese national football team." He justified this choice by highlighting Giresse's experience during his previous tenure, adding, "We need you and I know what you brought to our national team at the time." Alain Giresse served as Gabon's coach from 2006 to 2010, leading the Panthères to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals and overseeing a significant rebuilding of the team with the integration of young talents. As national technical director, Giresse is expected to work alongside Sébastien Migné, the recently appointed coach of the Panthères by the Gabonese Football Federation, to enhance the team's performance.