In mid-January, Gabon’s Minister of State for Transport, the Merchant Marine and Logistics, Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, received Fabrice Mauriès, High Representative of the French Republic, for a bilateral meeting focused on priority areas of cooperation in the transport sector.
The discussions covered rail, air and maritime transport, reflecting their strategic importance to Gabon’s economy and regional connectivity.
In the railway sector, both parties reviewed progress towards implementing the rail rehabilitation agreements concluded with SETRAG, the European Union and the French Development Agency. The talks focused on accelerating the rehabilitation of the Trans-Gabon Railway, with the objective of meeting the commitments made during President Emmanuel Macron’s most recent visit. The programme is intended to increase freight capacity while improving passenger safety on this critical corridor.
On air transport, the Minister of State outlined the Gabonese government’s concerns regarding the Libreville–Paris route operated by Air France. These concerns relate to the age of certain aircraft deployed on the route, the quality of on-board and ground services, and the level of fares. In response, the French representative proposed detailed technical consultations to identify sustainable measures to improve service quality and competitiveness for Gabonese passengers.
Maritime security also featured prominently in the discussions, against the backdrop of recent incidents in the Gulf of Guinea. France reaffirmed its willingness to support Gabon through enhanced maritime information sharing, strengthened operational capacity for Gabonese forces, and coordinated action to combat maritime piracy.
The meeting highlighted the shared intention of both governments to deepen technical and security cooperation, with a focus on delivering practical outcomes that support the performance and resilience of Gabon’s transport infrastructure.
