Gabon - unrest likely tomorrow 23 September 2016
22 September 2016 - RPS Partnership
RPS Partnership is bringing you this travel warning for Gabon, for tomorrow. We have received an alert which has warned of widespread unrest in Gabon tomorrow - 23 September 2016. We urge those people in Gabon to stay at home and to monitor local news channels, before leavning the safety of offices and homes. Contact us for advice and training if you are planning to travel there in the foreseeable future. We can be contacted on [email protected]
Gabon is preparing for widespread unrest on 23 September (tomorrow), when the Constitutional Court is scheduled to issue a verdict on the disputed presidential election. The declaration on 31 August (2016) that President Ali Bongo had won the election triggered widespread unrest in Libreville, Port-Gentil and Oyem, lasting several days and killing up to 100 people, according to the opposition’s estimates. Defeated presidential candidate Jean Ping has since challenged the poll results in court, but there is widespread suspicion that the court is partial and will rule in Bongo’s favour.
In the event Bongo is declared winner, there is the potential for significant violence and vandalism of private property across the country, particularly in Libreville, Port Gentil and Oyem.
It is possible the unrest will be more severe than that seen immediately after the election, amid rising tensions among opposition activists and a heavy security presence deployed across the capital. In Libreville, there is a particularly high risk of violence in the Charbonnages district, where Ping’s headquarters is located, and near government ministries on Boulevard Triomphal and Boulevard Jean Paul II.
Security forces will likely respond with force, including the use of live ammunition, teargas, rubber bullets, and blockades set up across Gabon’s main cities.
Fearing violence, businesses and petrol stations are likely to shut, resulting in shortages of vital supplies, while oil workers have already announced they will not work from 22 September until after the court’s final verdict is delivered.
As was the case during the previous bout of unrest, there is a strong possibility that internet and social media services will be suspended for a prolonged period in the event of significant violence. There have also been reports France has placed its 500 troops in Gabon on standby, possibly in preparation to evacuate the estimated 14,000 French nationals in the country if the security situation deteriorates significantly.
Contact us for travel security and first aid training on [email protected]
Information provided by PGI Information Services
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