Country Overview: Gabon

Gabon, a country located in Central Africa, is at risk for various forms of organized crime, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, and wildlife trafficking. The country’s governance and leadership framework contributes to corruption, lack of trust in institutions, and limited capacity to address these issues.

Criminal Justice and Security

Judiciary

There are no specialized judiciary units to counter organized crime.
Judges often take bribes from traffickers or are complicit in their activities.

Law Enforcement

Specialized law enforcement units do not exist, but security forces receive training for specific activities such as drug trafficking and the illegal exploitation of resources.
The creation of the Criminal Intelligence Analysis Unit is a positive step towards combating organized crime.

Economic and Financial Environment

Money Laundering

Despite having mechanisms in place to curb money laundering, there have been no prosecutions.
This lack of enforcement creates an environment conducive to money laundering activities.

Anti-Corruption Initiatives

Perceived as tools for political scoring rather than genuine efforts against corruption.
This perception undermines the credibility and effectiveness of these initiatives.

Business Freedom

Limited by corruption, bureaucracy, lack of transparency, and inconsistency in enforcement.
These factors create a challenging business environment that hinders economic growth.

Victim Support

Efforts to identify and protect victims have increased, but there is a lack of information on rehabilitation programs for drug abuse.
This highlights the need for more comprehensive support services for victims.

Prevention

Awareness campaigns exist for certain crimes like flora crimes and illicit trade of counterfeit pharmaceutical products, but efforts against human trafficking have decreased.
A targeted approach to prevention can help mitigate the risks associated with these crimes.

Media Landscape

Press Freedom

Eroded in recent years with journalists self-censoring to avoid legal repercussions and intimidation from law enforcement.
This creates a challenging environment for investigative journalism, which is essential for holding those in power accountable.

Overall, Gabon faces significant challenges in combating organized crime due to institutional weaknesses, corruption, and lack of trust in institutions. Efforts to improve the situation are hindered by perceptions of anti-corruption initiatives being political tools rather than genuine efforts to address the issues.