President Omar Bongo

Widowed at the age of 22, Mireille Mno lost not only her husband but also a home for herself and her children in the Gabonese capital. A week after her partner died in April, her in-laws kicked her and her two children, nine and four, out of the house. Disinheriting widows is common in various parts of Africa including this West African state, where efforts are being made to crack down on the practice. "His father threw me out. We left just like that, with nothing. Nothing at all from 11...Read Full Story

The per capital income of Gabon is some four times the average of sub-Saharan Africa. With significant oil wealth the economy has tended to be rather mono-dimensional, but with so much to offer the nation’s tourist industry has since the turn of the century enjoyed the impetuous of determined government investment and support. The care with which the natural heritage of Gabon is being preserved is an example to the rest of the continent, and vital to the success of these efforts is vibrant...Read Full Story

Africa needs investment and not charity as its "big cat" economies begin to move and political stability emerges, UN chief Ban Ki-moon told the Gabon parliament Friday. "Inflation has fallen almost everywhere in Africa, a new private sector is being born. We observe a new political stability. It is a big change," the UN secretary general told the deputies and ministers. "Africa does not need charity, Africa needs investment and partnership," he said. "This is the hour of Africa. It is time to...Read Full Story

When Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega bought posh apartments in Paris with what prosecutors say were millions in cocaine profits, he was in distinguished company. France has long been a magnet for foreign leaders with questionable backgrounds, some seeking refuge after being deposed, others accused of spending their national riches on French luxury. Now that Noriega is facing trial in France for money laundering, anti-corruption crusaders want French justice to scrutinize this country's...Read Full Story

Gabon's president said Wednesday France could no longer rely on its once-special relationship with his African nation, days after it signed huge contracts with India and Singapore. "France has partners, African states also have partners. They are not exclusive relationships. That no longer exists," Ali Bongo Ondimba told his first press conference since winning the presidential election in October 2009. "When we say that Gabon is open for business, it's truly non-exclusive," added Bongo...Read Full Story