Gabon lifts curfew over a year after military coup

Libreville – Gabon’s ruling junta on Wednesday lifted a curfew that had been in force since it seized power in a August 2023 coup, to allow for holiday celebrations, an official statement said.

The central African country’s military rulers removed “until further notice” a strict overnight curfew imposed by the Bongo dynasty, which they ousted after 55 years in power.

Police at the weekend had arrested dozens of young protesters in Libreville for breaching the curfew, with some claiming they had their heads shaved by the authorities as punishment.

“The defence and security forces are being asked to ensure order and security in accordance with the rule of law,” the junta said in a decree read on national television.

The decision comes three days after a “crackdown operation” by police that was heavily criticised on social media.

The ruling junta has previously shaved a teenager for posting a viral video deemed an “outrage” to coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema.

Young people accused of having “sown fear” in Gabon’s economic capital Port Gentil and trade unionists at the utility firm SEEG have also received the same punishment.

The government briefly eased curfew measures but tightened them again in early October in the run-up to the vote on a new constitution.

That was approved in a referendum in late November, paving the way for a presidential vote slated for August 2025.

The toughened restrictions intended to guarantee a peaceful voting campaign had heightened impatience and frustration among some Gabonese, and taken a toll on several economic sectors.

By lifting the curfew, “the head of state wants to give all his fellow citizens the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season”, according to the document signed by the defence minister.

“This measure also highlights the head of state’s constant preoccupation with supporting business operators in all sectors.”

The vote on the new constitution was followed by consultations to revise the electoral law, ahead of the presidential, parliamentary, and local elections intended to conclude the transitional period.

The text sets out a vision of a powerful president with a two-term limit and without a prime minister, as well as a ban on dynastic handovers of power.

Following the coup, junta chief Nguema, 48, swiftly took over as leader of the oil-rich central African nation, promising a return to civilian rule with elections.

But he made no secret of his presidential ambitions.