Yearbook 2007
Gabon. A new airline, Gabon Airlines, replaced the
bankrupt Air Gabon since Moroccan plans to enter a new
airline were dropped. Gabon Airlines is owned by Christian
Bongo, son of Gabon's president.
According to
CountryAAH, One of Gabon's best-known independent newspaper editors,
Guy-Christian Mavioga, was sentenced to five months in
prison and fined for criticizing President Omar Bongo in an
editorial. His magazine L'Espoir had his publishing license
revoked. Bongo has ruled Gabon since 1967 and is the African
head of state that has been in power for the longest time.
A 2006 Chinese billion iron ore mining contract in
eastern Gabon was criticized by environmental groups.
Several organizations jointly demanded that the authorities
disclose the conditions for the mining operations which are
feared to entail extensive logging in the environmentally
sensitive Congo basin.
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