Though Gabon has received some of the better scores within Sub-Sahara Africa, it is nevertheless not immune to pressures upon its governance and stability. The structure of the economy continues to be in need of reform and diversification in order to spread the wealth evenly throughout the population. Though oil and other natural resources have allowed the country to gain significant wealth, profits have been progressively decreasing. Though nominally democratic, Gabon is still yet to transition to being a full democracy. Rampant corruption continues, along with polarized elites, and a weak judiciary. Although international observers cited improvement in recent elections, the last election in 2009, which saw the late President Bongo’s son Bongo Ondimba rise to the presidency, ignited mass protests that have further undermined the government’s legitimacy.

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Indicator Scores

	Position													Total Score
2010	98 (177)	7.0	5.9	3.0	6.4	7.9	5.9	7.8	6.6	6.4	5.7	7.2	5.5	75.3
2009	99 (177)	7.2	5.7	3.0	6.0	7.8	5.5	7.3	6.8	6.3	5.9	7.2	5.7	74.4
2008	93 (177)	6.9	6.2	3.0	6.0	8.1	5.2	7.5	7.0	6.5	5.6	7.2	5.8	75.0
2007	98 (177)	6.6	5.7	3.0	6.0	7.8	4.9	7.3	7.0	6.7	5.3	7.2	5.8	75.0
2006	82 (177)	6.0	5.4	3.0	6.0	7.9	5.0	7.9	7.5	6.2	5.5	7.5	5.7	73.6

Core Five State Institutions

	Leadership	Military	Police	Judiciary	Civil Service
2010	Weak	Moderate	Poor	Weak	Moderate

Basic Information

Context

A former French colony, Gabon was led by only two presidents from 1960-2009. Political instability led to a coup in 1964, prompting French intervention which quickly reinstalled President M’ba, who died in the same year. He was succeeded by Omar Bongo, who would rule for the next 45 years. Bongo installed a strict one-party system in order to repress regional and tribal rivalries in earlier Gabonese politics. Growing economic and political discontent erupted into violent demonstrations and strikes in 1990, prompting significant political reforms. Despite ongoing instability, multi-party elections took place in late 1990. Dissent over the election results prompted more protests. Elections from 1998-2007 re-elected Bongo and the PDG, but did not result in similar civil disturbances. In 2009, Bongo died suddenly. Bongo’s son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was elected president in the same year, reigniting unprecedented violent protests over suspected fraud.

Social Indicators

Food security in Gabon is tenuous due to its low agricultural production and high dependence on food imports. Deforestation has become a problem, due to long dependence on the logging industry. Gabon’s numerous tribal groups are distributed relatively evenly throughout the country, leading to consistent interaction and common intermarriage between groups.

Recent Improvements and Pressures

• Gabon’s Demographic Pressures score improved slightly as the government embraced sustainable development initiatives.
• The Refugees and IDPs score increased slightly as authorities threatened to expel refugees who did not obtain and use a voting card.
• The Human Flight score increased as economic contraction prompted some Gabonese to leave.

Economic Indicators

The Gabonese economy is largely based on commodity exports, especially in the dominant oil sector that accounts for at least half of GDP. Recent drops in production have hampered economic growth, indicating the need to diversify the economy. Foreign debt levels remain a concern.

Recent Improvements and Pressures

• The Uneven Development score remained high due to inequitable distribution of oil revenues. Around one third of the population lives in poverty.
• Gabon’s Poverty and Decline score jumped 0.4 points as decreased demand for oil in 2009 shrank GDP by 1.4%.

Political/Military Indicators

For decades, Gabon’s political system was characterized by centralized one-party rule and low tolerance for political dissent. Since riots in the 1990s forced the regime to hold elections, Gabon’s elections have been subject to a number of irregularities and contention over results has been an incubator for unrest in the country. Corruption is widespread and is a significant contributor to the country’s uneven income distribution. Abuses from security forces, arbitrary arrests, and media restrictions are frequently reported problems.

Recent Improvements and Pressures

• The Legitimacy of the State score jumped 0.5 points due to the disputed election of Bongo’s son as president.
Gabon’s Public Services indicator improved as the country finalized loans for three infrastructural projects. The Human Rights score increased slightly as increased repression of the media and opposition leaders followed the contested 2009 elections. The Security Apparatus score improved due to military training in mid-2009. The External Intervention score declined due to a reduction in external debt.

Latest Update: 2011-05-03 Kristen Blandford

Image: Stock

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