Gabon and European Union aim for investment-focused partnership and economic transformation
via Gabon Review3 min read
Gabonese and European officials met in Libreville on June 8, 2026, for the annual session of their strategic partnership dialogue, expressing a shared desire to redefine their cooperation. Key discussion points included consolidating Gabonese democracy, economic transformation, ecological transition, and promoting a partnership based more on investment than development aid. The meeting, held at the Omar Bongo Ondimba Congress Palace, was chaired by Hermann Immongault, Vice-President of the Government, representing the President of the Republic, and Cécile Abadie, Ambassador of the European Union to Gabon. This high-level gathering marks a new phase in relations between the two partners. Two years after the last session and over a year after the April 2025 presidential election that led to the establishment of the Fifth Republic, Gabon used this platform to present its institutional reforms and reiterate its commitment to building cooperation focused on productive investments. Discussions covered political reforms and governance, economic prospects, environment and sustainable natural resource management, and multilateral and regional cooperation. Hermann Immongault highlighted the country's entry into a new phase of its political history, stating that Gabon has completed its transition phase and embarked on a new institutional dynamic since the April 12, 2025 presidential election. He presented this new stage as one of responsibility, transparency, and accountability, aiming
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Gabon's Minister of Health, Professor Elsa Nkana Joséphine Ayo épouse Bivigou, presented several bills to the National Assembly's Health Commission on June 4, 2026. These bills aim to provide a legal framework for the country's main university hospital centers, including the Jeanne Ebori Mother-Child University Hospital Foundation, the Libreville University Hospital, the Owendo University Hospital, and the National Public Health Laboratory. The minister highlighted that these institutions, despite being operational for years, lack a legal framework compliant with current legislation, specifically Law No. 20/2005 of January 3, 2006, which governs the creation, organization, and management of state services. The proposed reform seeks to rectify this legal anomaly, strengthen governance, and improve healthcare services. The minister emphasized that formalizing the legal status of these university hospitals will enable them to expand their missions in care, training, and research, facilitating partnerships with other institutions, potentially abroad. During the same hearing, the minister also defended a bill to ratify Ordinance No. 0020/PR/2026, which introduces new measures to combat tobacco use and nicotine-derived products, including vaping devices, to protect the population, especially young people. Deputies raised concerns about persistent issues in public health establishments, such as emergency patient care delays, quality of reception, and consultation costs, particularly
Must ReadGabon is accelerating preparations for a ban on chicken imports, scheduled for January 1, 2027. The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Professor Charles Edgar Mombo, visited the experimental site in Kougouleu, 55 kilometers from Libreville, to assess progress on research aimed at ensuring local production of agricultural inputs for poultry feed. The site is conducting adaptability tests on strategic crops such as corn, soybeans, rice, peanuts, and beans to identify varieties best suited to Gabon's climate and soil conditions. Gauthier Parfait Boussougou Boussougou, head of the Corn program, explained that the goal is to produce the necessary feed for chickens locally. The minister emphasized the approaching deadline for the import ban and the need to accelerate research and development. Researchers at Kougouleu are working to select agricultural varieties to meet the needs of the future national poultry sector, with encouraging results, including the certification of three rice varieties by the Institute of Agronomic and Forestry Research IRAF. The ministry also plans to implement training programs for producers and establish seed stocks to support the growth of selected crops, aiming to secure raw material supplies before the import ban takes effect. Professor Mombo highlighted the country's agricultural potential and the role of scientific research in supporting public policies, stating that higher education is capable of supporting the President's decisi
Gabon and France commemorated Captain Charles N'Tchoréré on June 7 in Libreville, 86 years after his death. The ceremony, held at the mausoleum named after him, honored the Gabonese officer who died in 1940 after refusing racial discrimination. Gabonese and French authorities, including the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defense, Major General Sylvain Florent Pangou Mbembo, and Colonel Jean-Côme Journé, military attaché at the French Embassy in Gabon, attended the event. General Bruno Ewingui, Director General of the National Office of Veterans, described N'Tchoréré as an emblematic figure of bravery and dignity, embodying the courage of African soldiers in global conflicts. N'Tchoréré, born Charles Borromée Messani Yi N'Tchoréré in Libreville on December 15, 1896, joined the French army and fought in both World War I and World War II. He was killed on June 7, 1940, during the Battle of Airaines, after German soldiers executed him for refusing to be separated from his European comrades, a violation of the 1929 Geneva Convention. His legacy includes posthumous distinctions such as the Order of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de guerre. Colonel Jean-Côme Journé emphasized France's duty to remember this hero. Captain N'Tchoréré remains a symbol of courage, commitment, and resistance against injustice.