Gabon is going through a period of great turmoil. What began as localized discontent in the education sector has morphed into a social contagion now affecting public media and healthcare. This widespread power struggle exposes the roots of a deep-seated malaise: a civil service stretched to its limits by unfulfilled government promises.

Public broadcasting: The big black screen

Since January 22, 2026 , the public media landscape has been paralyzed. Led by SYPROCOM , employees of Gabon Télévisions (Gabon 1ère, Radio Gabon) have begun an indefinite strike.

Their grievances are specific and illustrate a financial paradox:

1. Opaque management: The audiovisual license fee (RAC) is collected, but the agents don't see any of it.
2. Precarious employment status: Communicators are still demanding a special status and the payment of their performance bonuses.
3. Minimum service: Information has become a rare commodity, with news broadcasts reduced to their simplest expression, depriving citizens of reliable access to current events.

Education: The fuse that lit the powder keg

Education was the first domino to fall. Despite some temporary suspensions of the strikes here and there, anger remains high among teachers and administrative staff. Between unpaid back wages and stalled career paths, a sense of job insecurity prevails. For many, government announcements are merely empty promises, leaving Gabonese families with the specter of a lost academic year hanging over them.

Strong methods: Dialogue at an impasse

The most worrying aspect of this crisis lies in the security response. The arrest of several strikers has ignited the situation.

"These arrests are not perceived as a measure to maintain order, but as an attempt to stifle trade union freedom by force."

This coercive approach has only radicalized positions, transforming wage demands into a principled defense of fundamental freedoms.

Conclusion: An alarming diagnosis

The simultaneous paralysis of education, health, and information is a wake-up call for the authorities. This is no longer a simple sectoral crisis, but a genuine crisis of confidence in the state apparatus.

Gabon is at a crossroads: either the government chooses genuine dialogue and concrete action, or it will sink into authoritarian rule that risks permanently paralyzing the country. The question remains: can a nation's future be built while ignoring those who are its very foundation?