LM Report 2000

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GABON

Gabon signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, but has not yet ratified it. The ratification legislation that needs to be submitted to the National Assembly is still being prepared at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.^[1] A government official responded to a letter from Handicap International by stating, “I will relay your correspondence to our Government in Libreville and I have no doubt that it will be taken into consideration for a rapid ratification.”^[2]

Gabon attended the First Meeting of States Parties in Maputo in May 1999, with a delegation led by its Ambassador to the Organization of African Unity. It has not participated in the intersessional meetings of the treaty. Gabon is an active member of the United Nations consultative committee on Peace and Security in Central Africa, a committee that has addressed small arms and landmines. It is also active in the Peace and Security Council for Central Africa (COPAX). During the last COPAX meeting in October 1999 in Djamena, Chad, the participating governments reaffirmed their commitment to join and respect all the international conventions related to international humanitarian law including the Mine Ban Treaty.^[3] Gabon was absent from the vote on UN General Assembly Resolution 54/54B supporting the treaty in December 1999. It has voted for similar resolutions in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Gabon is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, and is not a member of the Conference on Disarmament.

Gabon told Landmine Monitor that it has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.^[4] According to government sources, Gabon has a small stockpile of antipersonnel mines intended for training purposes only.^[5] Information on the quantity and types of these mines is not available to the public.^[6]

There are no humanitarian mine action programs in Gabon. The ICRC’s Regional Bureau for Central Africa confirmed that there are no registered landmine victims in Gabon.^[7]

[1] Interview with Charles Essonghé, First Counselor, Permanent Mission of Gabon to the United Nations, New York, 24 April 2000.
[2] Letter from Honorine Doussou-Naki, Ambassador of Gabon to France, to Sylvie Brigot, Handicap International, Paris, 17 February 2000.
[3] Interview with Jacques Alfred Ndoumbe Eboule, Assistant Director, United Nations Department, Ministry of External Relations for Cameroon, Yaounde, 24 April 2000.
[4] Interview with Charles Essonghé, UN Mission, New York, 24 April 2000.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Interview with Daniel Augstburger, Regional Delegate, International Red Cross Society, Yaounde, 19 March 2000.