Gabon: The Forgotten Protesters

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Submitted by IQ4News on Wed, 02/02/2011 - 12:10pm

Since the Tunisian and Egyptian protests started in the last few weeks, Gabon has had its own mass protests. These protests have gone largely unnoticed by the media because of the focus on Egypt.

Many observers have asked if the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt will inspire citizens of other countries under dictatorships and corrupt governments, to also take to the streets to initiate their own revolutions.

Gabon’s opposition leader, Ander Obame, tried just that when he declared himself president on his broadcast station, TV+, on Jan. 25.

A Family Business

Like Egypt and Tunisia, the central African has been ruled by one family for over 40 years.

After Obame declared himself president, he accused the current president, Ali Bongo Odimba, of rigging the 2009 elections.

Ali Bongo Odimba is the son of former President Omar Bongo, who had ruled Gabon since 1967. The presidential seat was subsequently passed on to his son after his death in 2009.

Some 5,000 opposition supporters took to the street in support of Obame calling for President Odimba to step down.

In reaction to the protests, riot police fired tear gas in the country’s capital, Libreville. Twenty people are reported to have been injured.

A policeman was also reported to have been badly beaten in the clashes in Libreville.

Jean Francois Ndongou, Gabon's interior minister, accused Obame and his supporters of high treason, saying that Obame and his supporters "made the choice to not respect Gabon's constitution."

The government has since dissolved the National Unity party under which Obame made his declaration.