Gabon's public debt reaches 8,780 billion FCFA by December 2025, with domestic debt surpassing external obligations

For the first time, the state owes more to banks within the country and the sub-region than to major foreign creditors. External debt slightly decreased to 4,127.6 billion FCFA, while domestic debt surged by nearly 57% in one year, reaching 4,652.7 billion FCFA. The Directorate General of Debt attributes this increase to two main factors.

Firstly, a Task Force on debt officially recognized and validated previously uncounted state debts to companies and suppliers, known as "moratoriums," totaling 758.7 billion FCFA. Secondly, the state borrowed significantly from the regional financial market, raising 2,161.7 billion FCFA in 2025, with over half of this amount coming from banks outside Gabon in neighboring countries. Despite record repayments of 2,565.4 billion FCFA in 2025, including special operations like debt repurchases and Operation MOUELE, payment arrears have accumulated.

Operation MOUELE, completed in April 2025, restructured domestic debt repayments, extending the average duration from 2.3 years to 6 years to ease the financial burden. However, payment arrears reached 459.5 billion FCFA, an increase of 193 billion FCFA from the end of 2024. While the state prioritizes repaying major international lenders to maintain confidence, partner countries are owed 155 billion FCFA, foreign suppliers 121.4 billion FCFA, and validated moratorium debts have 1