Canton Océan residents in Gabon decry neglect by oil companies and government
via Gabon Review3 min read
Residents of Mpembé and Gongoué villages in Gabon's Canton Océan, ancestral land of the Orungu people, claim abandonment by oil companies and the government, facing human-wildlife conflict and the erosion of their collective memory. A collective representing these communities has issued an alert, detailing their decade-long struggle for recognition and resolution of their grievances. Their demands include strict adherence to the mining code, employment opportunities for local youth in oil-producing areas, effective management of the reserve where they reside, solutions to human-wildlife conflicts, clarification of the Mpembé chieftaincy, and a commemorative act for anti-colonial resistant Ogoula Iquaqua. The collective, led by Wilfried Iquaqua Nkowet, states they are "left to fend for ourselves," describing their territory within one of the country's largest reserves as unmanaged, exposed to climate change effects, and human-wildlife conflict. They had supported President Oligui, hoping for solutions to these issues. Their administrative and commercial efforts span from 2017 to late 2024. In September 2017, Addax Petroleum declined a partnership offer for a local company to employ youth, citing the lack of a legal structure. In April 2024, the collective invited the Gabon Oil Company GOC Director General to witness their daily realities, emphasizing their request for "strict adherence to the mining code" and "republican principles and values," an invitation they say went unan
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