Zim GBC News International Desk
LIBREVILLE, Gabon – Gabon’s media regulator has imposed an indefinite suspension on social media platforms, citing the spread of what it describes as “inappropriate, defamatory, and hateful content” that threatens national stability—a move that has drawn mixed reactions from citizens already grappling with widespread public sector strikes.
The restrictions, which took effect on Wednesday, have blocked access to major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and WhatsApp, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The organization reported that most internet providers had complied with the order, though Gabon Telecom, the country’s largest telecommunications firm, was allowing very limited access.
Regulator Cites National Security Concerns
Jean-Claude Mendome, spokesman for Gabon’s media regulator, defended the suspension as a necessary measure to protect the nation’s social fabric.
The suspension was prompted by the recurring dissemination on social networks and digital platforms of “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and insulting content that undermines human dignity, social cohesion, the stability of the republic’s institutions, and national security,” Mendome said.
Such actions, he warned, were likely to “generate social conflict” and “seriously jeopardise national unity, democratic progress, and achievements.”
However, Mendome was quick to emphasize that “freedom of expression, including freedom of comment and criticism,” remained “a fundamental right enshrined in Gabon.”
Business Owners Count the Cost
The suspension has hit small business owners hard, particularly those who rely on social media for marketing and customer engagement.
A restaurant owner in the capital, Libreville, who spoke to the BBC on condition anonymity, expressed deep concern about the impact on his livelihood.
“Almost 40% of my customers decided to order or come to the restaurant after seeing our advertising on social media,” he said.
“I won’t be able to catch new customers, because clients are attracted by what they are seeing, reviews from friends, pictures.”
He lamented what he sees as a step backward for the nation.
“We are entering a phase where we don’t even know if we are moving forward with global development or if we are sliding backward into total underdevelopment.”
Public Divided Over Move
Not all Gabonese are opposed to the suspension.
A taxi driver in Libreville told the BBC he supported the government’s decision, suggesting there must be valid reasons behind it.
“There’s no smoke without fire,” the driver said.
“For the authorities to take such a decision, something must have certainly prompted it.”
Background of Unrest
The social media blackout comes at a time of growing social tension in Gabon, which is led by Gen Brice Oligui Nguema. The 50-year-old president won last year’s presidential election with more than 90% of the vote, two years after he led a coup that ended more than five decades of rule by the Bongo family.
At the time of the transition, Nguema pledged to reform the small, oil- and timber-rich nation. For the first time during last year’s election, foreign and independent media were allowed to film the ballot count—a significant departure from past practices.
However, Nguema now faces mounting social unrest. School teachers began striking in December over pay and working conditions, with protests over similar grievances spreading to other public sectors, including health and education.
The digital blackout is not new to Gabon, where previous governments used similar measures to control information. However, the current suspension raises questions about the trajectory of Nguema’s promised reforms and the balance between national security and freedom of expression.
NetBlocks continues to monitor the situation, noting that access remains severely restricted across most platforms. The regulator has not indicated when the suspension might be lifted.
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