August 31, 2026, marked a solemn tenth anniversary of the violent assault on Jean Ping’s campaign headquarters in Libreville, a highly controversial event during Gabon’s 2016 post-election crisis.
Following the presidential election on August 27, 2016, which officially declared the incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba as the winner, the opposition coalition led by Jean Ping strongly contested the results. Amid high political tensions, security forces launched a raid on Jean Ping’s Libreville campaign base during the night of August 31 to September 1, 2016.
Numerous eyewitness reports and civil society organizations indicate that this military intervention resulted in deaths, injuries, arbitrary arrests, and unresolved disappearances. At the time, authorities justified the operations by claiming they were searching for individuals suspected of setting fire to the National Assembly who had allegedly sought refuge inside the opposition headquarters.
A decade later: Remembrance and the ongoing fight for accountability
To mark this anniversary, the citizen coalition Tournons La Page Gabon (TLP-Gabon) has demanded truth and justice for the victims of these tragic events. The organization emphasizes that several critical questions remain unanswered:
Who gave the orders for the assault?
What is the definitive casualty count?
What investigations have actually been conducted?
Where are the bodies of the missing victims?
TLP-Gabon maintains that no lasting national reconciliation can be achieved without full judicial transparency. To preserve the memory of the victims, the group launched a commemorative campaign titled “10 years, 10 faces” to put names and stories to those affected.
Ten years later, the families of the victims and survivors continue to wait for justice. To discuss these issues, I am joined by four guests:
- Virgilio Foumangoye, economist and sustainable development consultant.
- Marc Ona Essangui, current fifth vice-president of the Senate and former president of Tournons la Page Internationale.
Frédéric Samy Passalet, writer, essayist, and holder of a Ph.D. in Francophone literature with a focus on African conflict prevention. He is also the author of the essay Les marionnettes de Poutine en Afrique.
- Rodolphe Chauvet, criminal defense lawyer registered at the Paris bar, collaborating with William Bourdon on the French legal proceedings of this case.
To listen to the complete discussion, click on the image above.