🇬🇦GabonCentral Africa
FIBA 241: fifth edition to focus on cultural innovation and youth entrepreneurship
via Gabon Review2 min read
The fifth edition of the International Fine Arts Festival FIBA 241 was officially launched on June 10, 2026, at Libreville City Hall. The festival, scheduled from July 20 to 31, 2026, on the esplanade of the Cristal Hotel in Libreville, will focus on the theme "The contribution of cultural assets to a country." This theme aims to highlight culture's role as a driver of economic, social, and identity development. The launch ceremony was presided over by the sixth deputy mayor of the commune, Andy Félix Makindey Nze Nguema, and attended by organizers and cultural sector stakeholders. This edition will emphasize local artisanal know-how, cultural innovation, and support for youth entrepreneurship. The goal is to make FIBA 241 a platform for artistic expression and a promoter of creative initiatives with strong economic potential. Supported by Libreville City Hall and the Ministry of Commerce and Entrepreneurship, the event will host over 100 local exhibitors and seven invited countries. Artists, artisans, entrepreneurs, and cultural actors will present their products, creations, and projects at an international fair dedicated to art, crafts, culture, and entrepreneurship. This approach aims to strengthen the links between artistic creation and economic development while increasing the visibility of emerging talents. Andy Félix Makindey Nze Nguema reiterated the importance of local government support for cultural initiatives, stating that such events contribute to Libreville's in
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Gabon's Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Armande Longo épouse Moulengui, reaffirmed the country's commitment to strengthening social protection mechanisms and improving living conditions at the 40th session of the Council of Ministers of the Inter-African Conference on Social Welfare CIPRES in Geneva. The high-level meeting, held at the International Labour Office ILO headquarters on June 10, 2026, brought together ministers, experts, and social welfare officials from member states. Discussions focused on the governance, modernization, and performance of social security systems. Key strategic issues examined included the activity report of the Executive Secretariat, the financial statements for 2025, and the auditor's report. Participants also made important appointments within the Conference's bodies, including the president and members of the Social Welfare Monitoring Commission, the Head of the Regional Social Welfare Inspection, and the CIPRES auditor. Other agenda items included revising the CIPRES accounting plan, harmonizing management indicators, establishing common performance benchmarks, and strengthening the capacity of administrative and management bodies. The situation of member states' contributions to the organization's budget was also reviewed. Dr. Armande Longo épouse Moulengui emphasized that these efforts aim to consolidate a common vision for "more effective, more inclusive social protection that is better adapted to the realities of our countries," urging
During the inter-ministerial council on June 9, 2026, Gabon's Vice-President of the Government, Hermann Immongault, reminded executive members of the obligation to submit proposed roadmaps for central administration officials by Friday, June 12. Immongault emphasized the President's demand for results and accountability, urging more transparent government communication focused on project execution. This deadline follows directives from the May 4 Council of Ministers, where the President instructed each government member to define roadmaps to enhance administrative efficiency and guide public policy implementation. Immongault stressed that government announcements must be accompanied by concrete achievements, citing projects like the future deep-water port of Kobe-Kobe and the construction of 3,100 housing units in Essassa and Bikélé. He highlighted the need for these projects to yield tangible and measurable results for the population. Immongault also called for increased public communication efforts, stating that Gabonese citizens desire clear information on government actions and results. He advocated for government action based on rigor, education, transparency, and accountability, where every public policy is explained, every reform understood, and every commitment evaluated. The Vice-President of the Government argued for communication as a tool to support public action, aiding in the understanding and monitoring of reforms.
Must ReadJeune Afrique, in an investigation published on June 10, 2026, by Jeanne Le Bihan, has shed light on the detention conditions of former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze at Libreville Central Prison. Detained since April 15 in connection with an alleged eighteen-year-old fraud case, Bilie-By-Nze was initially placed in an individual, windowless cell in the prison's most feared annex. Upon his arrival, his glasses were confiscated, a measure reportedly linked to a previous incident involving Noureddin Bongo-Valentin, who allegedly used hidden camera glasses to film from his cell. A close associate described Bilie-By-Nze as being in "total darkness." By early June, his situation improved: he regained his glasses, was moved to a cell with a window, and was allowed access to novels, though newspapers and political essays remained prohibited. Despite these changes, his isolation continued, with no contact with other detainees permitted as of June 9. However, Jeune Afrique reported that he would now share the same prison quarter as Pascal Ogowe Siffon, former Minister of Tourism, who has been in pre-trial detention since last Christmas for alleged embezzlement of over 10 billion CFA francs in public funds. On the legal front, Bilie-By-Nze's defense suffered a setback on June 2 when their request to annul the proceedings was rejected. His lawyers argue the decision was illegal and that the statute of limitations for the alleged facts has long expired, maintaining the case is