Press release from the Gabon2025 Collective to the international community: following recent repressive excesses and human rights violations in Gabon
In our previous press release, entitled " Gabon shaves its children, where are the media? ", we alerted the national and international community about humiliating practices inflicted on Gabonese citizens: the forced shaving of their heads, an act that is both degrading and a symbol of repression.
We warned you that these flagrant violations of human rights risked escalating into more serious acts of torture. Today, our fears have tragically come true.
We deplore the confirmed death of a young Gabonese soldier , Johan Bounda, a second master in the Gabonese Navy, who died as a result of torture inflicted by members of the General Directorate of Counter-Interference and Military Security (B2). Accused of stealing jewelry from the home of General Jean Martin Ossima Ndong, Johan Bounda was subjected to inhuman physical violence, resulting in his death. This dramatic event, which occurred on the eve of the end-of-year holidays, plunges his family into unbearable mourning and raises major questions about the rule of law and practices within the armed forces.
While her family is trying to obtain justice, the head of the Transition, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguéma, went to see her. However, his remarks, filmed in a video widely shared on social networks, have sparked incomprehension and indignation. Coldly detailing torture methods such as "putting on a bridge" or "head under water", he implicitly acknowledged the systematic practice of these acts, even stating that a torturer "knows not to go beyond the limit" to kill the victim. These statements demonstrate not only knowledge of torture practices at a high level of the State, but also a revolting trivialization of this violence, particularly indecent in the face of a grieving family.
Here are some excerpts that were particularly shocking:
"[…] YOU CANNOT TORTURE SOMEONE WITHOUT LIMITS. WHEN YOU TORTURE, YOU KNOW THAT YOU MUST NOT EXCEED THE LIMIT. […] WHEN YOU ARE PUT ON THE BRIDGE, IF YOU STAY ON THE BRIDGE FOR 30 MINUTES, YOU DIE. […] HE IS A SPECIALIST."
Rather than firmly condemning torture and announcing the opening of an independent investigation, the Head of State gives the impression of minimizing the death of Johan Bounda; worse, he admits in veiled terms that these practices are routine within the security forces, who would know how far to go in order not to "cross the line". However, in this specific case, the line has clearly been crossed, since a man is dead!
ESCALATION OF ATTRACTIONS: OTHER VICTIMS TO FEAR
Today, we draw your attention to the particularly alarming case of Ariel Jess Moussadji, an agent of the Republican Guard (GR), detained and allegedly tortured for over a month for the sole reason that he was assigned to the home of former dignitary Hervé Patrick Opiangah (HPO) before the latter fled. According to several testimonies, he is being held in the basement of the presidential palace, without the possibility of communicating with his family or access to a lawyer, raising fears that he will suffer the same tragic fate as the late Johan Bounda. Even more worrying, it appears that other relatives or collaborators of Mr. Opiangah are also suffering similar abuse, proving that repression no longer spares any sector: not only civilians, but also the military themselves, are exposed to these barbaric acts as soon as they are suspected of having the slightest link (even professional) with a disgraced personality. This policy of widespread reprisals, which goes against fundamental principles of human rights and the rule of law, today threatens the security of everyone in Gabon and requires a rapid and firm response from the international community.
We urge:
- To the Gabonese Government and the Head of the Transition
- To shed full light on the circumstances of the death of the young citizen who recently died, to put an end to the practice of shaving heads and to immediately release or bring to justice, in complete transparency, those arbitrarily detained.
- To guarantee access to a lawyer and an independent medical examination for all incarcerated persons.
- To immediately cease all forms of torture, ill-treatment and intimidation against the population, civilian or military.
- To Gabonese embassies abroad
- To urgently report this information to the Transitional Government and to fully play their role as diplomatic relays to demand an end to the repression.
- To facilitate the handling of any complaints or testimony from the Gabonese diaspora, who might fear for the safety of their loved ones remaining in Gabon.
- To foreign embassies in Gabon and international organizations
- To firmly and publicly condemn all violations of human rights, including these acts of torture and suspicious deaths, and to demand that the Transitional Government establish an impartial and credible investigation.
- To immediately dispatch on-site verification missions (independent and transparent) to meet the victims' families and collect their testimony, while respecting their safety.
- At the UN and regional bodies (AU, ECCAS, etc.)
- To maintain and intensify their vigilance with regard to the situation in Gabon.
- To use all mechanisms of diplomatic pressure to demand respect for international conventions and the protection of civilian and military populations exposed to acts of arbitrary violence.
Faced with the poignant testimonies of civilians and soldiers – such as the case of Ariel Jess Moussadji – and the tragedy experienced by Johan Bounda’s family, we urge the international community to react quickly and firmly. Gabon, a signatory to multiple international conventions and treaties, cannot continue to ignore its obligations and allow impunity to reign at the highest level of the State . Human rights must once again become a priority: life, liberty and dignity are not negotiable.
The editorial staff,
The Gabon 2025 collective
Done in Libreville, December 30, 2024
info@gabon2025.com
