Gabon: France Welcomes Gabon's Oligui As Mineral and Military Ties Defy Wider Rift in Africa

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Radio France Internationale report, says Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema began a three-day official visit to France on Monday, 20 July 2026, accompanied by about 80 business and political figures. The trip is presented as a sign that relations between Paris and Libreville remain strong, even as France’s influence has weakened elsewhere in Francophone Africa.

According to the report, Gabon’s presidency said the visit would allow Oligui Nguema and French President Emmanuel Macron to review agreements reached in Libreville in November. RFI frames the trip as part of Oligui Nguema’s international normalization after he took power in an August 2023 coup that ended the Bongo family’s long rule. He was later elected president in April 2025 with nearly 95 percent of the vote, the report says.

Economic and security issues are expected to be central. Talks are set to include Gabon’s plan to develop domestic processing of manganese, a mineral used in steelmaking, and its previously announced intention to stop exporting raw manganese from 2029. The report also cites Gabon’s interest in financing upgrades to the 700-kilometre Transgabon railway, which is important for exports, including mining output. French company Eramet is among the firms connected to Gabon’s manganese sector.

Defence ties are also on the agenda after France reduced its military presence in Libreville from more than 1,000 troops to around 100 under a wider restructuring. RFI reports that Gabon is expected to take over the site for defence and security training. The visit comes amid rights concerns, including reported social media restrictions, the detention of a leading opposition figure on fraud and breach-of-trust allegations, and UN concerns about prison healthcare and abuses.