Your account has been succesfully created.

EN FR

Spotlight | Gabon
General Oligui blows hot and cold over Chinese navy base

By Paul Deutschmann

Published on 28.05.2024 at 04:40 GMT Reading time 3 minutes

Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at the opening of the National Dialogue in Gabon at the Libreville Gymnasium, 2 April 2024. © Wilfried Mbinah/AFP

The plan to build a naval base in Port-Gentil, as agreed by Beijing and Ali Bongo in 2023, has stalled. But Gabon's transitional president Oligui Nguema is cultivating deliberate ambiguity about the project's future, much to Washington's displeasure.

This article may be accessed by subscribers

In order to ensure high-quality and independent journalism, Africa Intelligence relies solely on subscriptions from its readers, with no advertising, no events and no consulting work.

Several offers are available depending on your particular reading needs

Consult our offers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

Discover our work by making use of the following possibilities: daily newsletters, a selection of free articles, keyword alerts.

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

create a free account

Palace Intrigues
Emmanuel Macron, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Paul Biya, Teodorin Obiang

Intrigues big and small: every Thursday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

GabonMacron's Libreville detour

CameroonCRTV resorts to tight frames on Paul Biya's rallies

Equatorial Guinea‘Teodorin' Obiang extends his US trip to the West Coast

Subscribers only Politics, Diplomacy 09.10.2025

Equatorial Guinea
"Teodorin" Obiang goes on charm offensive in the US

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the Equatorial Guinean vice president, despite being under Treasury sanctions, received an exemption from the American authorities to travel to Washington. There, he met with Donald Trump's Africa advisor and representatives of US majors.

Subscribers only Politics 02.10.2025

Gabon
Donald Trump's envoy expected at Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema's inauguration

Massad Boulos, the US president's special adviser on Africa, will join the Gabonese president's inaugural ceremony and, while there, discuss with several heads of state sensitive subjects, such as the conflict in the east of the DRC.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 01.05.2025

Donald Trump's special adviser on Africa, Massad Boulos (centre), in Kigali, on 8 April 2025.

Gabon
Gabonese ambassador in Beijing in General Oligui's crosshairs

The transitional president was unhappy about various shortcomings during his recent trip to China.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 19.09.2024

Ivory Coast
Ouattara due to dine with Macron at the Élysée

Alassane Ouattara is set to dine and hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on 30 August.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 30.08.2024

Gabon
General Oligui Nguema gets Russian armoured vehicles

Libreville has acquired Russian armoured personnel carriers for its armed forces and Republican Guard, a first for Gabon.

Free access Defence 28.08.2024

Gabon
Oligui Nguema buys two VIP planes

The Gabonese president's office used a broker to discreetly acquire two luxury aircraft for the presidential fleet, which have just been delivered to Libreville.

Subscribers only Politics 26.08.2024

Cameroon
Shadow of Camair-Co hovers over Fly Zejet rift

The private airline Fly Zejet is embroiled in a conflict between its founder and other shareholders over a possible rapprochement with the national carrier.

Free access Politics, Business 06.06.2024

A Camair-Co Boeing in Roissy (France) on 3 May 2013.

Spotlight | Gabon
Under pressure from General Oligui Nguema, Bongo family begins to fracture

From Libreville to Paris, Gabon's transitional president is trying to retake state control of a swathe of Bongo family assets, but the operation is far from smooth.

Subscribers only Politics 15.05.2024

Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 11 April 2024.

In Focus | Niger
Washington watches as Tehran negotiates with Niamey for 300 tonnes of uranium

Africa Intelligence can reveal the details of talks between the Niger junta and Iran for the delivery of uranium. The dizzying saga is being followed closely by Joe Biden's administration and puts the French nuclear fuel firm Orano in a delicate position.

Subscribers only Mining, Diplomacy 30.04.2024

Spotlight | Gabon
Coup d'état freezes China's Gabon naval base plan

Chinese diplomats are closely watching General Oligui's first steps at the helm of Gabon's transitional government, with Beijing's recent hard-won deal with now-deposed president Ali Bongo to create a naval base in the country effectively on ice.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 07.09.2023

Former Gabonese President Omar Bongo and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, 19 April 2023, in Beijing.

Gabon
Coup in Gabon: General Oligui reassures Paris

The day after his coup against his cousin and president, Ali Bongo, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was keen to make his strategy clear to the French authorities. He claims to want to strengthen relations with Paris.

Subscribers only Defence, Politics 04.09.2023

Brice Oligui Nguema in Libreville, on 16 August 2023.

Spotlight | China, East Africa
Xi Jinping's new ambitions for China-Africa trade take shape

Ahead of the CCP congress in November, the Chinese leader wants to breathe new life into its business ties with Africa. As frictions rise with Washington over tensions in the Taiwan Strait, Beijing is also trying to cement ties with friendly African nations.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 30.08.2022

Africa
Will Beijing boycott Macron's Africa Summit?

The French president has been trying to get China on board his summit of African economies for months but Beijing has yet to RSVP his invitation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken should represent Joe Biden at the 18 May event, to which several African heads of state have been hastily invited at the last minute.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 03.05.2021

Spotlight | Africa, China
Macron and Biden want to force China to play ball on African debt

Following the explosion in African countries' public debt caused by Covid, the European Union and the United States want to force China to take part in the collective rescheduling process organised by the G20 and the Paris Club.

Subscribers only Politics 19.01.2021

On December 30, 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron took part in a videoconference bringing together his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and European representatives.

Text size

Once registered, you will be notified by a short message on your computer or mobile phone as soon as a new edition of our publication or an alert is published. Stay informed anytime, anywhere!

Spotlight | Gabon
General Oligui blows hot and cold over Chinese navy base