Gabon in 2010

267,667 sq km (103,347 sq mi)
(2010 est.): 1,501,000
President Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba
Prime Minister Paul Biyoghé Mba

On Aug. 17, 2010, Gabon marked 50 years of independence from France with a huge military parade in the capital and a massive evening concert. On the political front, four deputies lost their mandate in the National Assembly after violating electoral law by leaving the ruling Democratic Party of Gabon (PDG) to join the opposition National Union Party (NU). In the June 6 special election to fill these seats and another vacancy, the PDG gained three seats, while the other two went to former ministers who were members of the NU. In December the National Assembly approved a controversial constitutional amendment that gave the president the option to extend his mandate in various crises. The PDG claimed that the amendment addressed several weaknesses in the constitution, but critics charged that it “opened the door to dictatorship.”

Though representatives of the logging industry expressed dismay about the introduction of a ban on the export of logs and requested that a graduated ban be instituted until the industry could establish the necessary factories and infrastructure to produce more finished goods, the ban took effect on May 15. Satellite surveillance was to be used to enforce the law.

Several moves were made to diversify economically owing to the prospect of diminishing oil reserves. The government signed an agreement on May 14 with a Moroccan corporation to begin gold mining in the Bakoudou region; a $4.5 billion contract was signed on August 14 with multinational companies from India and Singapore to improve Gabon’s road network, among other projects; and a commitment was made by the government on August 18 to increase the production of cash crops, particularly coffee and cocoa. Also, as part of Gabon’s role in cohosting the 2012 African Cup of Nations, $240 million was budgeted for necessary improvements to the country’s infrastructure.