August 31, 2026, marked a decade since the violent raid on the campaign headquarters of opposition leader Jean Ping in Libreville. This raid remains one of the most contentious moments of the political turmoil that gripped Gabon in 2016.
Following the presidential election on August 27, 2016, where incumbent Ali Bongo Ondimba was declared the winner, the opposition, led by Jean Ping, challenged the results. Amid escalating tensions, security forces launched an assault on Ping’s headquarters during the night of August 31 to September 1, 2016.
Numerous accounts and civil society groups state that the raid resulted in fatalities, injuries, arbitrary arrests, and forced disappearances. At the time, officials defended the intervention by claiming they were searching for individuals suspected of setting fire to the National Assembly who had allegedly sought refuge at the opposition base.
A decade later: Remembrance and the fight for accountability
To mark this tenth anniversary, the citizen coalition Tournons La Page Gabon (TLP-Gabon) has renewed demands for truth and accountability for those affected. The group points out that critical questions remain unanswered:
Who authorized the assault?
What is the precise number of casualties?
What investigations have been carried out?
Where are the remains of the missing victims?
According to TLP-Gabon, a lasting national reconciliation is impossible without judicial clarity. To honor the victims, the coalition launched a commemorative campaign called “10 years, 10 faces.”
Ten years on, the victims and their families are still waiting for justice. To discuss this issue, we welcome four guests:
- Virgilio Foumangoye, economist and sustainable development consultant.
- Marc Ona Essangui, current 5th vice-president of the Senate and former president of Tournons la Page Internationale.
Frédéric Samy Passalet, writer, essayist, PhD in Francophone literature specializing in African conflict prevention. He is also the author of the essay Les marionnettes de Poutine en Afrique.
- Rodolphe Chauvet, criminal defense lawyer at the Paris bar, working alongside William Bourdon on the French side of the case.
To listen to the full debate, click on the image above.
