Gabon

CEMAC countries have to face major challenges with regards to their economic and political situations. On the security side, the political upheaval in the Central African Republic and the development of terrorism along CEMAC borders, notably from Boko Haram, is threatening the entire region and, consequently, the capacity to attract investment.

Situated on Africa’s Gulf of Guinea and bordered by a host of low- and lower-middle-income economies, Gabon is part of a select grouping of upper-middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This is in large part due to it being endowed with substantial natural resources, including oil, metal and mineral reserves, alongside fertile soil and a...

As evidenced by its participation in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale, CEMAC), Gabon has long sought to cultivate strong business and trade ties within Africa (see analysis). As the continent’s GDP and economic clout have risen over the past decade, those...

Over the past five decades, Gabon has proven itself to be one of the most politically stable countries on the continent, in spite of the challenges it shares with so many of its neighbours, such as a dependence on commodities.

Although it has one of the region’s smallest populations, Gabon has long been a visible and effective diplomatic player in Central Africa, aided in part by strong ties to France – and more recently Asian economies – as well as by a comparatively high per-capita income and GDP.