Gabon: Faced with insecurity, President Oligui Oguma calls for general mobilisation: “A firm, consistent and effective response”
In a recent address to the nation, President of Gabon Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema placed citizen security at the heart of national priorities. Faced with a resurgence of criminal acts in the capital Libreville and across the country’s other cities, the Head of State delivered a frank assessment and called for unwavering mobilization. His speech, marked by unequivocal determination, outlined the path for a large-scale response to restore public peace.
“A firm, coherent, and effective response is needed to curb this climate of insecurity,” he declared, summarizing the categorical imperative of his approach.
This triad firmness, coherence, effectiveness forms the foundation of the new strategy.
It reflects the will to move beyond sporadic reactions and establish a comprehensive, lasting, and resolute plan.
The President thus acknowledged the scale of the challenges, ranging from organized crime to petty delinquency, and including the security of neighborhoods and major roadways.
The announced firmness means an uncompromising state commitment to protect citizens and their property.
It will require strengthening the operational capacity of security forces, adapting legal frameworks, and ensuring rigorous judicial enforcement.
This dimension is crucial to deter and neutralize criminal networks that threaten public order.
However, President Oligui Nguema is not advocating for a purely repressive escalation.
By emphasizing coherence, he underscores the need for seamless coordination among different bodies; police, gendarmerie, justice, and territorial administration; and for integrated action across the entire national territory.
The goal is to avoid fragmented efforts and ensure uniform pressure against insecurity, whether in Libreville, Port-Gentil, Franceville, or the smallest locality.
Finally, the demand for effectiveness sets the bar at achieving concrete, perceptible results for the population.
This means significantly reducing the number of assaults, thefts, and trafficking incidents, while also restoring a daily sense of trust and calm.
Such effectiveness will also depend on modernizing investigative tools, preventive intelligence, and; in the long term more inclusive social policies aimed at addressing some of the root causes of crime.
By speaking out in this manner, the Gabonese President fully assumes his role as guarantor of security; the first of all freedoms.
His address is a clear call to responsibility for the state apparatus and to vigilance for all citizens.
The road ahead may be long, but the course is now set with strategic clarity: Gabon cannot prosper in a climate of fear.
The battle for security has begun, and the determination displayed at the highest level of the state sends a strong signal to both security forces and the population, potentially heralding a decisive turn in this essential fight for the country’s future.
Gilbert FOTSO
