Financial Crime Awareness and Education in Gabon: A Growing Concern

Gabon, a country located in Central Africa, has been identified as a key destination market for trafficked persons from West and Central Africa. The majority of these individuals are forced into sexual and labor exploitation.

Human Trafficking in Gabon

• Boys are primarily exploited as street merchants, in the transport and fishing sectors.
• Girls are forced into domestic work, markets, and roadside restaurants.

Forest Crimes in Gabon

The country’s economy is largely driven by the industrial logging industry, which has been linked to widespread forest crimes. Many companies operating in this sector have been reported to bribe ministers to obtain timber concessions and avoid punishment for their continuous breaking of forest laws.

• Gabon is one of the top timber-exporting countries to China.
• A significant volume of rosewood is illegally traded.

Wildlife Trafficking in Gabon

• The poaching of forest elephants in areas such as Minkébé National Park has been reported.
• The illegal trade in other species, including great apes, is also an issue in the country.

Drug Trade in Gabon

• Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in Gabon.
• The country serves as a trans-shipment point for cocaine that enters the continent through other West African and Central African entry points.
• Synthetic drugs are also widely used in the country, with reports of complicity among judicial staff and limited professional capacity often resulting in prosecutorial judges not investigating cases brought to their attention.

Economic Environment in Gabon

The economic environment in Gabon is not conducive to setting up and operating a legitimate business, with ongoing perceptions of weak governance and high levels of corruption continuing to deter private sector investment and constrain economic growth.

Mechanisms for Victims

• There are two state-funded NGO shelters offering medical, legal, housing, and other services to homeless and orphaned children who are most at risk of trafficking.
• For those wishing to report corruption as witnesses, there are strong concerns about retaliation.

Preventive Measures

Gabon has taken some preventive measures for certain criminal activities, including:

• GPS real-time tracking collars to deter ivory trafficking
• Eco-guards patrolling the country’s national parks

Conclusion and Recommendations

In conclusion, financial crime awareness and education in Gabon is a growing concern that requires immediate attention from the government and international community. The lack of specialized judiciary units and law enforcement units tasked with countering organized crime has led to a rise in corruption and human trafficking.

Recommendations:

• Establish specialized judiciary units and law enforcement units tasked with countering organized crime.
• Strengthen the prosecution of money-laundering cases in Gabon.
• Improve the economic environment by reducing corruption and increasing private sector investment.
• Increase awareness about financial crimes and their consequences through education and campaigns.
• Provide more mechanisms to help victims exit modern slavery.