Last updated: December 11, 2025
Country Profile
With a population of 2.5 million, Gabon is a sparsely populated former French colony located on Africa’s west coast. The country has been spared the internal conflicts that have plagued many other postcolonial states. Its high income per capita, mainly due to its oil sector, belies widespread poverty and economic inequality. After being ruled by the Bongo family for over half a century – first by Omar Bongo and later his son Ali Bongo – a coup drastically changed its political landscape.
Politics: The Post-Bongo Era
For 55 years Gabon was ruled by the Bongo family who had firmly consolidated power in their hands. A military takeover in 2023 brought an abrupt end to Bongo rule, with Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema named as interim president. In April 2025, Gen. Nguema won the country’s first multiparty elections after resigning from the army. Even though the elections transpired peacefully, major opposition candidates were barred from participation. The new president has vowed to bring about democratic renewal and diversify the economy. Nguema has yet to deliver on these promises.
Security: Internal Stability and Maritime Vulnerabilities
Gabon currently does not face any major insurgent or transnational security threats. Although organized crime poses a security challenge in some urban areas, there is little chance this will destabilize the country at large. However, the end of the Bongo era also brings heightened uncertainty and another coup cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, if President Nguema is unable to deliver on tackling the country’s enduring economic and social disparities, public discontent could grow and trigger unrest.
Gabon’s most persistent external security challenge is maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, which has been a hotspot for piracy over the past decade. Although regional counter-piracy operations have reduced incidents, attacks and kidnappings continue to occur. Over the past two years, several incidents have taken place in Gabonese waters, including one in January this year in which the Senegalese crew was abducted. Enhancing maritime security is an important component of President Nguema’s agenda, who has sought to strengthen bilateral ties with Equatorial Guinea to expand counter-piracy cooperation.