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Archaeological finds in the jungle of Gabon reveal that the
land has been populated for millennia. Yet, one does not
know the history of the country before the 16th century
migration. The emigration of a number of peoples triggered a
crisis in the old kingdom of Congo (see Angola ). To Gabon,
the Myrians immigrated, followed in the 18th
century by the fang people, who today are the
largest ethnic group. They monopolized the trade of slaves
and ivory to Europeans.
According to
Countryaah data,
the first Europeans to reach the coast of what is today
Gabon were the Portuguese who arrived in 1472, but it was
not until the mid-19th century that French, Dutch and
British created permanent trading posts through which trade
in ivory, rare woods and slaves were mediated. In 1849 the
town of Libreville was established, which became a center
for freed slaves from other French colonies. The area did
not immediately offer economically attractive activities, so
the French used it as a strategic base for their expeditions
into the interior of the continent.
The country gained its independence without major blows
when the two local parties - Gabon's Mixed Movement led by
León M'Ba and Jean-Hilaire Aubame's Social and Democratic
Union - appeared willing to accept the country's new
neo-colonial situation.
Gabon has significant mineral resources of iron, uranium
and manganese, wood and oil. At the same time, the oil
company Shell recently discovered new oil reserves in
Rabikuna in the Port-Gentil region. The new field's reserves
will last for 50 years and have already been put into use.
Unlike the country's other offshore oil fields,
Rabikuna is onshore, which is why production costs are much
lower. Shell's share in the field is 80% while the French
Elf has the remaining 20%. At the same time, the North
American company Amoco and the Brazilian Braspetro were
authorized to continue exploration in the Port-Gentil area.
Until a few years ago, the limited timber industry was
the only one of any magnitude in the area, but multinational
companies have now discovered that this "peaceful spot" can
serve as a gateway to markets in Central Africa, and
therefore an industrialization process has been initiated.
This development process that is dependent on foreign
capital has only helped to increase the country's social
problems. The promise of urban work has accelerated the
emigration from the country and the change in social
structures in the way that small farmers are transformed
into cheap laborfor the multinational companies. At the same
time, the destruction of the agricultural economy has
destroyed the possibilities of self-sufficiency in food and
liquidated the last sector that did not depend on foreign
capital.
This neo-colonial order is based on a 1960 treaty on
military alliance between Libreville and Paris. When M'ba
died in 1967, he was followed by his defense minister Omar
Bongo, who faithfully continued M'ba's political line. In
addition to safeguarding the interests of the French, the
country developed after North American inspiration into a
"sub-imperialist" center. Bongo became the "gendarme" of
Central Africa, and the country's base for aggression
against its progressive neighboring countries. In January
1977, for example, the country asked. aircraft and weapons
available to a group of mercenaries who carried out a failed
attack on the Benin People's Republic.
Gradually, Bongo developed a more flexible foreign
policy. Relations with neighboring countries - including
Angola - improved without altering their close ties with
France. Like Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad and the Central
African Republic, Gabon also has French troops in the
country.
Bongo was re-elected as president in 1979 and 1986 with
99% of the vote - in elections where he was the only
candidate.
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