DOCSLIB.ORG

Gabonese Republic

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Gabonese Republic AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK COUNTRY : GABONESE REPUBLIC APPRAISAL REPORT Public Disclosure Authorized DATE: 3 SEPTEMBER 2018 GABONESE REPUBLIC: WATER AND SANITATION SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - FIRST LIBREVILLE INTEGRATED DRINKING WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROGRAMME (PIAEPAL) - DRINKING WATER COMPONENT Public Disclosure Authorized RDGC/AHWS/GOGA September 2018 Translated Document TABLE OF CONTENTS I – STRATEGIC THRUST AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................. 1 1.1. PROJECT LINKAGES WITH COUNTRY STRATEGY AND OBJECTIVES .............. 1 1.2. RATIONALE FOR BANK’S INVOLVEMENT ............................................................. 1 1.3. AID COORDINATION ...................................................................................................... 2 II – PROJECT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................... 3 2.1. PROJECT COMPONENTS ......................................................................................... 3 2.2. TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS ADOPTED AND ALTERNATIVES EXPLORED ............ 5 2.3. PROJECT TYPE .......................................................................................................... 6 2.4. PROJECT COST AND FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS ............................................ 6 2.5. PROJECT AREA AND BENEFICIARIES ................................................................... 7 2.6. PARTICIPATORY PROCESS ...................................................................................... 7 2.7. BANK GROUP AND EXPERIENCE REFLECTED IN PROJECT DESIGN ............. 8 III – PROJECT FEASIBILITY .............................................................................................. 8 3.1. PROJECT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE ................................... 8 3.2. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT .............................................................. 9 IV IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................................................................... 11 4.1. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS .................................................................. 11 4.2. MONITORING ........................................................................................................... 14 4.3. GOVERNANCE .............................................................................................................. 14 4.4. SUSTAINABILITY ..................................................................................................... 15 4.5. RISK MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................... 16 4.6. KNOWLEDGE BUILDING ....................................................................................... 16 V – LEGAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................ 16 5.1. LEGAL INSTRUMENT .............................................................................................. 17 5.2. CONDITIONS FOR BANK INVOLVEMENT ............................................................ 17 5.3. COMPLIANCE WITH THE BANK POLICIES ......................................................... 18 5.4. RECOMMENDATION ............................................................................................... 18 Annex 1: Comparative Socio-economic Indicators of the Country Annex 2: Key Related Projects Financed by the Bank and other Development Partners Annex 3: Map of the Project Area Annex 4: Justification for Reducing Gabon's Counterpart Funding Annex 5: Logical Framework for the Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Development Programme in Gabon Currency Equivalents (June 2018) Currency Unit UA 1 = CFAF 794.31 UA 1 = CFAF 1.21092 EUR 1 = CFAF 655.00 Fiscal Year 1 January – 31 December Weights and Measures 1 tonne (t) = 2204 pounds 1 millimetre (mm) = 0.03937 inches 1 cubic metre (m³) = 1000 litters 1 kilometre (km) = 0.62 mile 1 metre (m) = 3.28 feet 1 hectare (ha) = 2.471 acres Acronyms and Abbreviations ADF : African Development Fund AFD : French Development Agency AfDB : African Development Bank ARSEE : Water and Electricity Sector Regulation Agency CNEE : National Water and Electricity Council DWS : Drinking Water Supply DWSS : Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation EU : European Union ESMP : Environmental and Social Management Plan IWRM : Integrated Water Resources Management NGO : Non-Governmental Organization PCU : Project Coordination Unit PD : Preliminary Design PGRHA : Water Resources Management and Sanitation Programme PIAEPAL : Libreville Integrated Water Supply and Sanitation Programme PSGE : Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan SEEG : Société d’Energie et d'Eau du Gabon (Gabon Water and Power Utility) SP : Société de Patrimoine (Assets Company) STEP : Treatment and Purification Plant TFP : Technical and Financial Partners UA : Unit of Account WB : World Bank WHO : World Health Organization i PROJECT INFORMATION Client Information DONEE/BORROWER : Government of the Gabonese Republic EXECUTING AGENCY : Ministry of Water and Energy 852 Boulevard Triomphal Libreville B.P. 1172 Libreville Gabonese Republic Tel: (241) 01721514 Email: [email protected] Financing Plan Source Amount (UA) Instrument AfDB 96.95 million Loan TOTAL COST 96.95 million AfDB's Key Financial Information _____________________________________________________________________________________ Loan Currency Euro (EUR) [or any other acceptable currency] Type of Loan Fully flexible loan Maturity 20 years Deferred amortization 5 years Weighted Average 12.75 years Maturity** Reimbursements Half-yearly payments at the end of the deferred amortization period. Interest Rate Base rate + Funding margin + Lending spread + Maturity premium. This interest rate must be above or equal to zero. Base Rate: Floating (EURIBOR 6 months revised every 1st February and 1st August), with a free floating base rate option. Financing Cost Margin The Bank's financing cost margin revised every 1st January and 1st July and applied every 1st February and 1st August with the base rate. Lending Spread 0 basis points (0.8%) Maturity Premium 0.00% Front-end Fees 0.25% of the loan amount payable latest on the date of signature of the loan Agreement. Commitment Fee 0.25% per year on the undisbursed amount. It shall become effective 60 days following the date of signature of the loan agreement and shall be payable on the due dates. ii Base Rate Conversion Besides the free fixing option, the Borrower may revert to the Option* floating rate or reset the rate on all or part of the disbursed amount of its loan. Transaction fees apply. Rate Cap or Collar Option* The Borrower may cap or collar the base rate for all or part of the disbursed amount of its loan. Transaction fees apply. Loan Currency Conversion The Borrower may change the currency of all or part of its loan, Option* : whether disbursed or not, into another loan currency of the Bank. Transaction fees apply. FRR, NPV (base case CFAF 10,401.70 billion at 12% discount rate scenario) ERR (base case scenario) 13.59% *where applicable Timeframe-Main Milestones (expected) Concept Note Approval May 2018 Project Approval September 2018 Effectiveness December 2018 Last Disbursement June 2023 Completion December 2022 iii Executive Summary 1. Project Overview: Libreville's first Integrated Water Supply and Sanitation Sub- Programme is part of Government's programme to develop the Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS) sector. The achievements envisaged under this vast programme stem from the ambition to guarantee, by 2025, sustainable universal access to drinking water and sanitation in a healthy and improved living environment nationwide. PIAEPAL aims to strengthen and improve drinking water and sanitation services in Greater Libreville. It will cost UA 200 million. The Government requested funding from the Bank for the drinking water component of this sub-programme, which involves building the institutional capacity of the DWSS sector, reinforcement and a 280-kilometre extension of the drinking water network in Greater Libreville comprising the Libreville, Akanda, Owendo and Ntoum municipalities, and preparation of the next phase in the form of a project. The total cost of the component to be financed by the Bank is UA 96.95 million. It is scheduled to be implemented over a 4-year period. 2. The project will generate considerable and tangible positive socio-economic and environmental benefits for the 920,000 inhabitants of Greater Libreville and the natural environment: (i) a regular supply of safe drinking water in sufficient quantities; (ii) time savings especially for women who are often forced to wait long hours at night to fetch water; and (iii) significant savings on household budgets as a result of fewer incidents of waterborne diseases, malaria and the improvement of living conditions in general. Stakeholder involvement is crucial for investment sustainability. Initiated during the project identification and preparation missions, this process continued through the ESIA, including public consultations and meetings with the appraisal mission, and will be maintained during the implementation phase. 3 Needs Assessment. The city's current drinking water production capacity is 230 000 m3/d against a production need of 280 000 m3/d, i.e. a deficit of 50 000 m3/d. To meet Greater Libreville's water needs up to 2035, the Drinking Water Master Plan prepared in March 2016 recommended the completion of work on the future Ntoum 7 drinking water production
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A First Look at Logging in Gabon
    Linking forests & people www.globalforestwatch.org A FIRST LOOK AT LOGGING IN GABON An Initiative of WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE A Global Forest Watch-Gabon Report What Is Global Forest Watch? GFW’s principal role is to provide access to better What is GFW-Gabon? information about development activities in forests Approximately half of the forests that initially cov- and their environmental impact. By reporting on The Global Forest Watch-Gabon chapter con- ered our planet have been cleared, and another 30 development activities and their impact, GFW fills sists of local environmental nongovernmental orga- percent have been fragmented, or degraded, or a vital information gap. By making this information nizations, including: the Amis de la Nature-Culture replaced by secondary forest. Urgent steps must be accessible to everyone (including governments, et Environnement [Friends of Nature-Culture and taken to safeguard the remaining fifth, located industry, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Environment] (ANCE), the Amis Du Pangolin mostly in the Amazon Basin, Central Africa, forest consumers, and wood consumers), GFW [Friends of the Pangolin] (ADP), Aventures Sans Canada, Southeast Asia, and Russia. As part of promotes both transparency and accountability. We Frontières [Adventures without Borders] (ASF), this effort, the World Resources Institute in 1997 are convinced that better information about forests the Centre d’Activité pour le Développement started Global Forest Watch (GFW). will lead to better decisionmaking about forest Durable et l’Environnement [Activity Center for management and use, which ultimately will result Sustainable Development and the Environment] Global Forest Watch is identifying the threats in forest management regimes that provide a full range (CADDE), the Comité Inter-Associations Jeunesse weighing on the last frontier forests—the world’s of benefits for both present and future generations.
    [Show full text]
  • Wildlife Law Enforcement Briefing
    19 wildlife traffickers arrested in 6 countries New EAGLE project launched in Burkina Faso with an arrest of 2 traffickers with big cat skins 3 traffickers arrested with more than 500 wildlife skins, including lions and leopards, in SenegalOctober 2020 5 traffickers arrested with 31 kg pangolin scales in Cameroon EAGLE Network 4 ivory traffickers arrested in Gabon in two operations 2 traffickers arrested with 37 kg of pangolin scales in Togo Harouna Traoré, a member of an international ring, trafficking live animals, arrested in Guinea 12 wildlife traffickers arrested in 5 countries International criminal syndicate crashed in Cameroon, 4traffickers arrested with 73 ivory tusks and 1.7 tons of pangolin scales A Chinese trafficker arrested with ivory in Senegal, 3 Senegalese traffickers arrested in follow up with 391 carved ivory pieces 2 ivory traffickers arrested with 3 elephant tusks in GabonWildlife Law 2 traffickers arrested in Togo with 9 kg of ivory An ivory trafficker arrested with two carved tusks in Côte d’Ivoire LAGA Enforcementsigned a Collaboration Convention with Customs in Fighting Transboundary Briefing Crime. A breakthrough in establishing formal relations with Customs for the EAGLE Network 9 24 wildlife traffickers arrested in 7 countries 9 6 ivory traffickers arrested with 3 tusks in Togo and an international trafficking ring crushed 9 4 ivory traffickers arrested with 4 tusks in Benin 9 An ivory trafficker arrested in Cameroon with 118 tusks 9 5 ivory traffickers arrested in Gabon in two operations 9 2 Chinese arrested at the airport in Senegal with 16 sperm whale teeth 9 2 traffickers, one of them Indian, arrested with 48 leopard and lion claws in Senegal 9 A major international birds trafficker arrested in Senegal 9 2 major traffickers arrested with 13 elephant tusks in Burkina Faso 9 An ivory trafficker arrested with carved ivory in Côte d’Ivoire 2 major traffickers arrested with 11 elephant tusks and two small 6 ivory traffickers were arrested with 3 tusks in Togo and an interna- parts in Burkina Faso tional trafficking ring crushed.
    [Show full text]
  • Central African Republic (C.A.R.) Appears to Have Been Settled Territory of Chad
    Grids & Datums CENTRAL AFRI C AN REPUBLI C by Clifford J. Mugnier, C.P., C.M.S. “The Central African Republic (C.A.R.) appears to have been settled territory of Chad. Two years later the territory of Ubangi-Shari and from at least the 7th century on by overlapping empires, including the the military territory of Chad were merged into a single territory. The Kanem-Bornou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, and Dafour groups based in Lake colony of Ubangi-Shari - Chad was formed in 1906 with Chad under Chad and the Upper Nile. Later, various sultanates claimed present- a regional commander at Fort-Lamy subordinate to Ubangi-Shari. The day C.A.R., using the entire Oubangui region as a slave reservoir, from commissioner general of French Congo was raised to the status of a which slaves were traded north across the Sahara and to West Africa governor generalship in 1908; and by a decree of January 15, 1910, for export by European traders. Population migration in the 18th and the name of French Equatorial Africa was given to a federation of the 19th centuries brought new migrants into the area, including the Zande, three colonies (Gabon, Middle Congo, and Ubangi-Shari - Chad), each Banda, and M’Baka-Mandjia. In 1875 the Egyptian sultan Rabah of which had its own lieutenant governor. In 1914 Chad was detached governed Upper-Oubangui, which included present-day C.A.R.” (U.S. from the colony of Ubangi-Shari and made a separate territory; full Department of State Background Notes, 2012). colonial status was conferred on Chad in 1920.
    [Show full text]
  • Member Country Partnership Strategy Paper 2019-2023 Ii 4.3.3 Development Interventions of Product Champions 36 4.4 Implementing the Partnership Strategy 38 4.4.1
    GABON ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP Member Country Partnership Strategy Paper Jeddah 22331 - 2444 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel.: +966 12 636 61400 Fax: +966 12 637 4131 2019-2023 Email: [email protected] © March 2019 Table of Contents Acknowledgements iv Foreword v Executive Summary vi List of Figures, Tables and Boxes viii Acronyms and Abbreviations ix Map of Gabon xi I. Introduction 1 II. Country Context – Country Diagnostics 2 2.1 Macroeconomic Overview 2 2.1.1. Recent Economic Trends 2 2.1.2. Recent Social and Political Developments 3 2.1.3. Economic outlook 3 2.2. Thematic Issues 4 2.2.1. Islamic Finance 4 2.2.2. Youth and Gender 5 2.2.3. Civil Society and NGOs 5 2.2.4. Agriculture 6 2.2.5. Climate Change 6 2.2.6. Regional Cooperation and Integration 8 2.2.7. SDG Profile and Analysis 8 2.2.8. Trade and Private Sector Development 9 2.2.9. Islamic Insurance 10 III. Development Context 11 3.1 Development Challenges and Binding Constraints 11 3.2 National Development Strategy 13 3.3.1. Overview and Pillars of the National Strategy 13 3.3.2. Resource Mobilization and Partnerships in Development Financing – Donors’ Profile 14 IV. IsDB Group Strategy 18 4.1 Objective 18 4.2 Global Value Chain Analysis 19 4.2.1. Overview 19 4.2.2. The Wood Industry Value Chain 20 4.2.3. The Manganese Industry Value Chain 27 4.3 An overview of the Universe of Interventions 32 4.3.1 General Constraints 34 4.3.2 Critical Type of Interventions 35 GABON Member Country Partnership Strategy Paper 2019-2023 ii 4.3.3 Development Interventions of Product Champions 36 4.4 Implementing the Partnership Strategy 38 4.4.1.
    [Show full text]
  • FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture
    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fisheries and for a world without hunger Aquaculture Department Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles The Republic of Equatorial Guinea Part I Statistics and main indicators 1. Country brief 2. General geographic and economic indicators 3. FAO Fisheries statistics The Profile (2003) Additional information 2. FAO Thematic data bases 3. Publications Source of information 4. Meetings & News archive United Nations Geospatial Information Section http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm Imagery for continents and oceans reproduced from GEBCO, www.gebco.net Part I Statistics and main indicators Part I of the Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile is compiled using the most up-to-date information available from the FAO Country briefs and Statistics programmes at the time of publication. The Country Brief and the FAO Fisheries Statistics provided in Part I may, however, have been prepared at different times, which would explain any inconsistencies. Country brief Updated 05-2015 Equatorial Guinea comprises a mainland area as well as five inhabited oceanic islands, the two most important of which are Annobon and Bioko. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers an area of around 314 000 km2. In 2013, total capture production was about 8 600 tonnes, including 1 000 tonnes of inland water catches. More than half of marine catch was composed of sardinella and other small pelagics. In the last several years, significant quantities (1 500-3 100 tonnes per year) of tuna catches caught by the national industrial fleet were reported. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Fishing is both industrial (mainly licensed foreign trawlers) and artisanal, with canoes, using handlines and small seines.
    [Show full text]
  • GABON Gb 07:GABON Gb 07 17/04/07 14:48 Page 269
    GABON gb 07:GABON gb 07 17/04/07 14:48 Page 269 Gabon Libreville key figures • Land area, thousands of km 2 268 • Population, thousands (2006) 1 406 • GDP per capita, $ PPP valuation (2006) 7 668 • Life expectancy (2006) 53.6 • Illiteracy rate (2006) … GABON gb 07:GABON gb 07 17/04/07 14:48 Page 270 Gabon GABON gb 07:GABON gb 07 17/04/07 14:48 Page 271 THE 2005 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS a contest sources of income. Moreover, despite the government’s between opposition parties and a “presidential majority” promises that budgetary indiscipline linked to the 2005 coalition of about 40 other parties and groups backing presidential election would not be repeated, President Omar Bongo Ondimba for another seven- parliamentary elections in late 2006 are also expected year term. Bongo was declared by the constitutional to have been accompanied by Gabon should diversify court to have won re-election with about 80 per cent excessive spending. Inflation, its economy and prepare of the votes cast. which fell back in 2005, rose in for the after-oil era pursuing 2006 to 1.9 per cent, mainly institutional reforms to Despite shrinking oil reserves and declining owing to a higher wage bill for improve the investment production, oil was still Gabon’s main natural resource government workers. climate, governance, in 2005, providing more than half its GDP, 80 per and eradicate poverty. cent of export earnings and 63 per cent of tax revenue. Many institutional reforms Without new discoveries, however, the country will were introduced in 2005 affecting business
    [Show full text]
  • The Mineral Industry of Gabon in 1998
    THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF GABON By George J. Coakley The equatorial African nation of Gabon has an area of Anglo American plc in 1999, initiated a feasibility study to 257,670 square kilometers and supported a population of about examine the potential for producing columbium (niobium)-rich 1.2 million in 1998, with a gross domestic product (GDP) per pyrochlore concentrate from the Mabounié carbonatite complex capita of $6,400 based on 1998 purchasing power parity data. near Lambaréné in the west-central portion of the country. The mineral industry was dominated by crude petroleum Columbium is used as a ferrocolumbium alloy in steelmaking. production, which accounted for about 60% of Government The project would have a capital cost of about $50 million and revenues and more than 40% of the GDP. Following petroleum produce 6,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) of ferroniobium and timber, manganese and uranium were the major exports. (ferrocolumbium). The carbonatite contains 360 million metric Total exports of all goods were approximately $2.1 billion, with tons (Mt) of niobium and phosphate ore grading 1.02% petroleum accounting for about 80% and manganese for 5% in niobium oxide and 24% phosphorous pentoxide. The high- 1998. Resources of gold, iron ore and phosphate were known. grade niobium zone contains 41.2 Mt of ore grading 1.9% A new mining code was drawn up by the Government in niobium oxide. By developing the project, Reunion can earn a 1997. The new code is designed to promote new exploration 42% interest in the niobium-rich portion of the carbonatite and to establish rules to protect the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • 2Nd Circular 5Th SGA-SEG-UNESCO-IUGS Short
    MINISTERE DE L’EQUIPEMENT, DES INFRASTRUCUTURE ET DES MINES 2nd Circular 5th SGA-SEG-UNESCO-IUGS Short Course on African Metallogeny SEDIMENT HOSTED Mn-Fe-U deposits: from exploration to metal organized by Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) in cooperation with Ministry of Mines of Gabon School of Mines and Metallurgy, Moanda University of Science and Technology, de Masuku, Franceville Université Paris Sud, France supported by SEG, UNESCO and IUGS to be held in Moanda, Gabon, 10 – 14th October 2018 School of Mines and Metallurgy, Moanda, Gabon Sediment-hosted ore deposits are widespread all over Africa. Many were formed during the Proterozoic (e.g. Central African Copperbelt, Kalahari Mn-fields…). Gabon’s sedimentary basins are located around Archean magmatic and metamorphic rocks. The Proterozoic Francevillan Basin in the southeastern part of the country hosts one of the world’s famous manganese deposits. Uranium was mined in the same region until 1999. Gabon is the 2nd largest Mn producer in the world after South Africa where Mn is mined from the famous, time-equivalent Kalahari Mn-fields, the world’s largest on-shore Mn- deposits. COMILOG, belonging to ERAMET Group, was founded in 1953. It has been operating the mine in Gabon since 1962 in Moanda, about 50 km from Franceville. Manganese (production of ~4 Mt/year) is exploited from laterites with an average grade of 46 % Mn. The ore is sintered and transported over 600 km by rail to the port of Owendo, close to Libreville, and shipped for steel production to clients in Europe, USA and China.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) Project – Gabon Component
    Summary - Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) Project – Gabon Component October 2019 1 1. Introduction Gabon joined the CAB4 Gabon project in order to expand the geographical coverage and usage of high-bandwidth networks and to reduce the cost of communications services on its territory. In this regard, the Gabonese government has requested support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) in the form of supplementary financing to: (i) build 2185 km of priority fibre cable connections nationwide; and (ii) build a National Datacentre – CSIRT/SOC/PKI platform subdivided into two units, one in Franceville municipality (Haut Ogooué Province) and another in the Nkok Economic Zone (Ntoum municipality, Estuaire Province). To curb the potential negative environmental and social impacts and outcomes of the project while optimizing its positive impacts and outcomes, it became necessary to conduct an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). The objective of the ESIA was to prevent and judiciously manage any negative fallout from project implementation and to ensure compliance with Gabonese legislation and AfDB requirements. This summary presents the key findings from the environmental and social impact assessment document prepared in August 2019. Besides the introduction, it is divided into the following main sections: (i) project description; (ii) key environmental and social impacts, climate change-related risks and mitigation/enhancement measures and complementary initiatives; (iii) environmental and social monitoring programme; (iv) public consultations and dissemination of information; (v) institutional arrangements and capacity-building requirements; (vi) cost estimates; and (vii) implementation schedule and communication of information. 2. Project Description 2.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Knowledge Institutions in Africa and Their Development 1960-2020: Gabon
    Knowledge institutions in Africa and their development 1960-2020: Gabon Knowledge Institutions in Africa and their development 1960-2020 Gabon Introduction This report about the development of the knowledge institutions in Gabon was made as part of the preparations for the AfricaKnows! Conference (2 December 2020 – 28 February 2021) in Leiden, and elsewhere, see www.africaknows.eu. Reports like these can never be complete, and there might also be mistakes. Additions and corrections are welcome! Please send those to [email protected] Highlights 1 Gabon’s population increased from 501,000 in 1960, via 950,000 in 1990, to 2.2 million in 2020. 2 Gabon’s literacy rate is 85% (15 years and older, 2018). 3 The so-called education index (used as part of the human development index) improved between 1990 (earlier data not available) and 2018: from 0.473to 0.636 (it can vary between 0 and 1). 4 Regional inequality is consistent and low. Performing best overall is Libreville-Port Gentil. The region with the fastest development is Estuaire (the province where Libreville is located). Performing worst overall is Ogooue Lolo. The slowest developing province is Moyen Ogooue. 5 The Mean Years of Schooling for adults improved between 1990 and 2018, from 4.3 years to 8.3 years. There is high regional inequality until 2010. 6 The Expected Years of Schooling for children improved somewhat: from 11.1 to 12.1 years. There is low regional inequality throughout the period. 7 Gabon has had higher education institutions since the late 1950s. Currently there are about 32 tertiary knowledge institutions in Gabon, 15 public and 17 private ones.
    [Show full text]
  • Failed Coup Attempt in Gabon
    CRS INSIGHT Failed Coup Attempt in Gabon January 9, 2019 (IN11013) | Related Authors Tomas F. Husted Alexis Arieff | Tomas F. Husted, Analyst in African Affairs ([email protected], 7-7754) Alexis Arieff, Specialist in African Affairs ([email protected], 7-2459) On January 7, a small group of Gabonese soldiers seized the state broadcasting building in Gabon's capital, Libreville, and declared their intention to overthrow the government of President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Within hours, security forces retook the building and put down the coup attempt. The attempt followed months of political uncertainty after the president (aged 59) suffered a stroke in Saudi Arabia in October 2018; he has since remained outside the country and is currently convalescing in Morocco. Separately, the coup attempt came days after President Trump announced the deployment, beginning on January 2, of "approximately 80" U.S. military personnel to Libreville as a standby force to protect "U.S. citizens, personnel, and diplomatic facilities" in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), should the security situation there deteriorate in the wake of December 2018 elections. Shortly after the coup attempt, a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesperson stated that "there is no change in the status" of that deployment, and that U.S. forces were not presently tasked with securing diplomatic assets (or any other mission) in Gabon. An oil-rich former French colony on the geostrategic Gulf of Guinea, Gabon has long been considered a stable—if authoritarian-leaning—country in a tumultuous region. U.S. interests center on Gabon's role in regional conflict resolution, maritime security, and environmental conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • Unlike, for Example West Africa, We Know Little About Migration in Central Africa. We Could Even Think, Seen the Rarity of Relat
    MIGRATIONS IN CENTRAL AFRICA: CARACTERISTICS, ISSUES AND ROLES IN THE INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE REGION By B. LUTUTALA Mumpasi Demographer University of Kinshasa Introduction Unlike, for example West Africa, we know little about migration in Central Africa. We could even think, seen the rarity of related studies and policies1 that migration is a marginal phenomenon in this region of Africa. And yet, we know that wars and other political unrests that take place from time to time in the region force the populations in their thousands even in their millions to move inside their countries, or to take refuge in neighboring or faraway countries. In 1994, Wilkinson wrote that "the Great Lakes have been one of the most serious and most complex crises of our time" (Wilkinson, R., in UNHCR, 1997), when he saw a great flood of more than one million Rwandan refugees flock in the small town of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the days following the assassination of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and of the Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamina. Another tent «city», exclusively occupied by these migrants, established itself in the outskirt of Goma. Besides, some of the migrants from Central Africa went through tragic events in their new countries of immigration. Some of them were returned and repatriated to their countries of origin in the most inhuman conditions. In Congo, the migrants from the DRC are considered as pests: it is better to kill a Congolese (from the DRC) than a snake, say the people of this sister country of the DRC.
    [Show full text]