A coalition of several Gabonese associations announced Saturday in Libreville that they have initiated legal proceedings to protest the escalating wave of cyberattacks, primarily characterized by the hacking of WhatsApp and Facebook accounts.
The collective reports having received approximately fifty complaints from Gabonese citizens across all social strata. An in-depth analysis of these cyberattack incidents suggests that the widespread use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), employed to circumvent the social media suspension in effect since February 17, 2026, is a primary catalyst for these security breaches.
“The phone numbers originating these attacks typically begin with +500 or +600. These are foreign country codes. This strongly indicates that the perpetrators are not necessarily operating from within Gabon,” explained Patrice Thérence Mezui, president of the National League for Human Rights and the collective’s designated spokesperson.
The coalition posits that this phenomenon, previously uncommon, has seen a dramatic increase since the High Authority of Communication (HAC) officially suspended social media access on February 17, 2026.
“This constitutes a violation of the Constitution, specifically the chapter dedicated to fundamental freedoms,” Mr. Mezui emphasized.
“The Constitutional Court declared itself incompetent, deeming the contested action administrative in nature,” he further elaborated. The Court of First Instance similarly declined jurisdiction. Consequently, the collective lodged a final complaint with the Council of State. “We are currently awaiting the Council of State’s decision,” he concluded, without specifying the exact date this latest complaint was filed.
Immediate Reversal of Social Media Suspension Demanded
The collective firmly believes that the ongoing social media suspension exposes Gabonese citizens to heightened risks of cyberattacks. They are demanding an immediate lifting of this suspension, which was intended to be temporary but has become nearly permanent. Furthermore, they are urging the President of the Republic to promulgate the law on social media usage recently adopted by Parliament. Finally, the collective proposes opening negotiations on the critical issue of social media to achieve a national consensus.
The HAC had justified its initial measure by citing the necessity to combat informational disorder, cyberharassment, and the dissemination of hateful content. Civil society, however, argues that the measure is disproportionate and contradicts the fundamental principles of the rule of law.