Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema travelled to Oyo in the Republic of Congo on October 31. The Gabonese presidency described the trip as private. It came amid efforts to ease tensions between the two countries following a dispute over a French judicial investigation involving members of Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso’s family.
Congolese Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso received Oligui Nguema. The Gabonese leader thanked Congolese authorities for their assistance after the Prospector 5 offshore drilling platform sank near Mayumba, Gabon, on October 24. At Oligui Nguema’s request, Sassou-Nguesso had deployed a naval patrol vessel and a helicopter to support the search and rescue efforts. On November 2, Gabon confirmed that four bodies had been recovered and identified, while one person remained missing.
On November 1, the two presidents paid tribute at the grave of Édith Lucie Bongo Ondimba in Edou. The former Gabonese first lady was Sassou-Nguesso’s daughter and the wife of the late Omar Bongo. The family connection has long linked the two countries.
The visit followed months of tension over the French investigation into assets allegedly acquired through the misappropriation of public funds linked to Omar Bongo’s family. Gabon joined the case as a civil party in 2023, seeking compensation. In September, lawyers representing the Gabonese state submitted observations supporting the referral of Antoinette Sassou-Nguesso, the Congolese president’s wife, and Omar-Denis Junior Bongo to the Paris criminal court. The move reportedly raised concerns in Brazzaville.
Gabon subsequently adjusted its position. According to GabonReview, citing Africa Intelligence, the country’s lawyers filed revised observations in early October, removing language supporting the referral of the named individuals to trial. Gabon did not withdraw from the case or abandon its claims for asset recovery.
By the time Oligui Nguema arrived in Oyo, Libreville had already taken steps to soften its position in the French proceedings. The presidents publicly highlighted their countries’ historical ties and continued cooperation, but neither government announced a formal settlement of the underlying legal differences.
The episode illustrates how judicial proceedings involving politically connected families can complicate relations between neighbouring Central African states, even as practical cooperation, including maritime search-and-rescue operations, continues.
