Gabon civil society groups challenge ruling party's plan for a 12-story headquarters on land cleared of evicted families

L2Who’s affected

Coalition spokesperson Ella Engonga Lionel told RFI that several Gabonese families evicted from the area "dorment encore à la belle étoile" ("are still sleeping in the open"). The coalition asks: "Comment expliquer aux populations qui ont été déguerpies de cette zone, parfois dans des conditions dénoncées comme brutales" ("How can one explain to the people who were evicted from this area, sometimes in conditions described as brutal") that a political party can now build its headquarters there (Gabonmediatime).

L3Why it’s quiet

Analysis · OVERLOOKED The dispute has been covered by French-language Gabonese outlets and RFI; we found no English-language coverage.

L4Deeper impact

Mays Mouissi, the minister in charge of housing, urban planning and land registry, is also the UDB's secretary general, Le Radar reported. The coalition invokes Article 81 of the Constitution on parliamentary oversight (Gabonmediatime) and seeks details on the legal basis for the allocation, the size of the plot and the identity of the authority that signed the transfer (Dépêches 241). It also asks for a temporary suspension of the works if checks and the competent authorities justify it (Le Radar).

L5Full context

The UDB is the party founded by Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (Dépêches 241). In a statement, the UDB said the site had been allocated to it by the competent authorities (Dépêches 241). The coalition says it is not prejudging any irregularity: "Il ne s’agit pas, pour notre Coalition, de préjuger de l’existence d’une irrégularité" (Dépêches 241).

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