Gabonese diaspora in Paris protests against current regime, citing political detentions and restrictive laws
via Gabon Review2 min read
A collective of Gabonese expatriates, supported by the organization Gab’Action, has called for a peaceful gathering in front of the Gabonese embassy in Paris on Saturday, April 25, at 12 PM. The initiative, widely publicized through a poster on social media, highlights isolated detainees, laws deemed repressive, and a political climate reminiscent of the Bongo era. The chosen location is significant, as it was from this same Parisian area in September 2016 that over two thousand members of the Gabonese diaspora began years-long marches to the embassy on Avenue Raphaël, demanding the departure of Ali Bongo after a contested presidential election. This time, the organizers point to two emblematic cases: activist Bob Mengome, alias “Matricule 212,” who his relatives say is deprived of visits and care, and Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, president of the EPG and former Prime Minister, who was arrested without summons by masked men, placed in pre-trial detention, and is now, according to his party, in total isolation, with no contact with his family or lawyers since his incarceration. Eloïse Bouanga, spokesperson for the collective, stated that the government of Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema is turning the law into a deterrent weapon, citing the reform of the nationality code and new provisions governing digital space. She added that a simple share on social media can now lead to prison, with sentences up to ten years and fines up to 50 million FCFA. The Gab’Action poster on Facebook ca
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Must ReadThe Ensemble Pour le Gabon EPG party has issued a press release on April 20, 2026, condemning the conditions of detention for its president, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, who was incarcerated on April 16, 2026. According to the Executive Bureau, the former Prime Minister has not received any visits since his preventive detention. His lawyers' attempts to gain access to their client on April 20, 2026, were unsuccessful, with judicial authorities providing no official explanation for the refusal. The EPG interprets this as "total isolation," a term in Gabonese criminal law that implies a ban on all external contact and cannot be legally extended beyond certain deadlines without a reasoned decision. The party and the defense are facing a procedural void due to the lack of official communication from the prosecutor's office or the investigating judge. The communiqué did not mention the charges against Bilie-By-Nze or announce immediate legal action, but the tone suggests a potential escalation in the coming days.
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