‘Not all putschists are equal’: Gabon’s interim leader makes official visit to France

Gabon’s interim president is on his first official visit to France this week accompanied by an entourage of several ministers, with bilateral relations, climate change and forests, and the progress of Gabon’s transition high on the agenda for discussion between both partners.

Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema’s 5-day working visit to Paris (May 28-June 2) is obviously designed to distance Gabon from Sahel countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which have been rocked by a string of coups and a wave of anti-French sentiments.

“Indeed, our transition is distinct. We aim to demonstrate our unique position,” noted a Gabonese source who did not wish to be named. “We seek a normal relationship with France, akin to our interactions with other partners.” On Friday May 31, Oligui Nguema is slated to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace.

During the regime of former president Ali Bongo Ondimba, the Franco-Gabonese relationship had gone through chilly periods, including when Libreville joined the British Commonwealth two years ago. Now speculations abound that the Gabonese interim leader’s visit to France is also aimed at boosting his legitimacy. But French authorities have brushed these speculations aside, citing Oligui Nguema’s compliance with the transition timetable. Paris has also refuted any accusations of a “double standard,” and stressed the differences between the situations in Gabon and the other coup-hit French-speaking African countries. “Not all putschists are equal,” said an unnamed source close to the French government.