French President Macron, Presses On with Africa Tour, Marking Key Diplomatic Visit to Libreville
French President Emmanuel Macron has advanced his diplomatic swing through Africa with a stop in Gabon, following his participation in the concluding session of the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
The visit marks Macron’s first official trip to the Central African nation since General Brice Oligui Nguema assumed authority after the military overthrow of former president Ali Bongo.
During a formal address, Oligui Nguema lauded Paris for what he described as consistent and multifaceted backing throughout Gabon’s political transition, particularly its role in facilitating what he called credible, transparent, and widely endorsed elections.
“Mr. President, dear brother, I extend my profound appreciation for the broad and decisive assistance France has provided during our transitional period. This support helped guarantee open and trustworthy elections, recognised by the international community, and has anchored the gradual consolidation of our state institutions, declared President Oligui Nguema.
According to the Élysée, Macron’s mission is intended to reinvigorate France’s strategic posture on the continent and reaffirm his administration’s intention to break decisively with the remnants of France’s colonial inheritance—an approach he championed from the outset of his first term.
With Gabon’s transition roadmap deemed successfully completed, France is now seeking to channel its engagement toward a series of joint priorities, including economic revitalisation, environmental stewardship, and a reconfigured bilateral partnership centred on youth participation.
Macron underscored this shift in his remarks: “I fully endorse the President’s assertion that Africa cannot remain a continent viewed solely through the prism of raw material extraction. We must succeed in creating new economic models—models that require sustained energy investment, structural transformation, and far greater value-addition to the continent’s resources. We support this mutually beneficial partnership, one that safeguards the interests of all parties and proceeds along a coherent, competitive, and responsible path.”
Gabon’s relationship with France—deeply rooted in pre-independence history—remains one of Paris’s most entrenched on the continent. Despite last year’s coup, French influence in Libreville has endured, and both nations now aim to recalibrate their cooperation with a renewed emphasis on engaging and empowering the next generation.
Source: Africa News