Gabon Faces Challenges in Combatting Organized Crime and Corruption

Despite its rich natural resources, Gabon continues to grapple with a range of organized crime issues, including human trafficking, arms smuggling, environmental crimes, and corruption. The country’s proximity to West and Central Africa makes it a transit point for trafficked persons, while its forests are vulnerable to logging and poaching.

Human Trafficking Remains a Significant Concern

Gabon is primarily a destination market for trafficked persons from Central and West Africa.
Boys are exploited as street merchants, in the transport and fishing sectors, and girls forced into domestic work.
Women from West Africa are also used in domestic servitude and as prostitutes.
The country’s judicial system has been criticized for complicity in trafficking crimes, including bribery of judges.

Environmental Crimes on the Rise

Gabon’s forests are a major target for logging companies, which bribe officials to obtain timber concessions and avoid punishment.
The country is also a hub for wildlife poaching, with great apes and forest elephants being targeted.
Corruption facilitates these crimes, with public servants and decision-makers involved in bribery.

Arms Smuggling Not a Significant Problem

Despite its proximity to Cameroon, Gabon is not considered a high-risk arms trafficking market.
However, recent instability in the country has led to an increase in arms smuggling.

Cannabis Production a Growing Concern

Gabon has reported an increase in cannabis production and related organized crime activities.

Corruption Remains a Major Challenge

Gabon’s government is seen as corrupt, with limited transparency and accountability.
The country lacks legislation on open contracting and access to information.
On the international level, Gabon has ratified relevant treaties but faces challenges in implementing them domestically.

Economic and Financial Environment Challenging

Gabon’s economic environment is not conducive to setting up and operating a legitimate business.
Ongoing perceptions of weak governance and high levels of corruption make it difficult for businesses to operate.
Money laundering remains unprosecuted.

Gabon has few mechanisms to help victims exit modern slavery, with limited resources for NGOs and state-funded shelters.
The country also lacks effective prosecution of money-laundering cases.

Conclusion

Gabon’s fight against organized crime and corruption is hindered by its governance framework, lack of transparency, and inadequate institutional capacity. Despite some positive steps taken by the government in recent years, more efforts are required to strengthen law enforcement coordination, improve judicial system capacity, and enhance economic and financial environment for legitimate businesses.