The new Gabon, which survived the 2023 coup, is using pragmatic diplomacy as a tool for renegotiating old agreements. Political scientist, founder of the GlobUs expert club, and AREA board member, Yulia Berg analyzed how the country is trying to convert its natural resources into real sovereignty on the SOLOVIEV LIVE "Mama Africa" program.
The main conflict in modern Gabon is a conflict of models. On the one hand, there is the legacy of the Bongo era: decades of formal stability built on deep integration with the former metropolis.
"Gabon is still deeply and tightly controlled by France and its interests," the expert states.
On the other hand, there is a new reality in which the West is no longer the only player. The military, that came to power, have placed a priority on diversifying its partners.
"Everyone is guided by their own practical interests... this offers certain advantages, including for Gabon," Berg explains Libreville's logic.
For the Gabonese elite, dialogue with China and Russia has become not an ideological choice, but a market instrument — a way to increase their value in the eyes of their traditional partner.
The key asset in this game is oil. But here, Gabon faces a classic African dilemma: it has resources, but lacks the infrastructure for their diversified development, and the youth, that should be the driving force of the economy, has been marginalized.
Thus, the "Russian" and "Chinese" cards in Gabon's hands are not about alliances, but a stark recalculation of the value of loyalty. The country is conducting a subtle operation: exploiting the interest of new players, it is attempting to renegotiate the terms of the treaty with Paris, while maintaining the fragile internal balance between clans.
The success of this strategy will determine whether Gabon becomes another example of the "resource curse" or a case in which oil finally becomes the basis for true independence.
#GlobUs #Africa #Gabon
The main conflict in modern Gabon is a conflict of models. On the one hand, there is the legacy of the Bongo era: decades of formal stability built on deep integration with the former metropolis.
"Gabon is still deeply and tightly controlled by France and its interests," the expert states.
On the other hand, there is a new reality in which the West is no longer the only player. The military, that came to power, have placed a priority on diversifying its partners.
"Everyone is guided by their own practical interests... this offers certain advantages, including for Gabon," Berg explains Libreville's logic.
For the Gabonese elite, dialogue with China and Russia has become not an ideological choice, but a market instrument — a way to increase their value in the eyes of their traditional partner.
The key asset in this game is oil. But here, Gabon faces a classic African dilemma: it has resources, but lacks the infrastructure for their diversified development, and the youth, that should be the driving force of the economy, has been marginalized.
Thus, the "Russian" and "Chinese" cards in Gabon's hands are not about alliances, but a stark recalculation of the value of loyalty. The country is conducting a subtle operation: exploiting the interest of new players, it is attempting to renegotiate the terms of the treaty with Paris, while maintaining the fragile internal balance between clans.
The success of this strategy will determine whether Gabon becomes another example of the "resource curse" or a case in which oil finally becomes the basis for true independence.
#GlobUs #Africa #Gabon