Yearbook 2010
Gabon. Despite protests from the opposition, the PDG
government in December passed a constitutional amendment
that gives the president the right to extend his term of
office in a "crisis situation" as long as he sees fit. The
opposition argued that the constitutional change could pave
the way for dictatorship.
Under the new President Ali Bongo, Gabon has begun to
move away from its long-standing dependence on the former
colonial power of France. Admittedly, the close cooperation
of the countries was confirmed when France's President
Nicolas Sarkozy visited Gabon in February, but in the major
business dealings concluded during the year it was mainly
Asian companies that benefited. Companies from India and
Singapore signed contracts worth approximately SEK 40
billion for the expansion of Gabon's infrastructure and
construction of an artificial fertilizer plant, projects
estimated to create 60,000 jobs. In August, Chinese Shenyang
Group bought Gabon's third-largest forest company,
French-owned GEB, for over half a billion. Another Chinese
company, Huazhou Mining, was awarded a contract of about the
same size in October to operate a manganese mine in central
Gabon.
According to
COUNTRYAAH, Gabon
has a population of 2.119 million (2018). The government's need to reduce the unilateral dependence
on the oil industry was highlighted when the oil workers
went on strike in April for demands for better working
conditions and a regulation of the foreign workforce. The
strike was interrupted after a few days after promises of
negotiations and was completely canceled in October, after
employers joined a maximum of 10 percent foreign employees
in the industry and that Gabonese should have all managerial
positions within two years. The state also averted another
strike threat in August by meeting 14 trade unions' demands
for lower prices for electricity, gas and water.
A French court in November decided to approve a lawsuit
filed by Transparency International (TI) against former
President Omar Bongo. Prosecutors are investigating whether
he - as TI claims - has purchased a large number of
properties and cars for himself and his family for state
funds.
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