Silver Spring: Brice Clotaire Oligui-Nguema's house for sale, a troubling signal before the Referendum

As Gabon prepares to vote for the constitutional referendum that could redefine the rules of the political game, a particular ad has just been discovered that could make a lot of noise: the house of Brice Clotaire Oligui-Nguema, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, is put up for sale for the sum of $990,000, with an ad published on the American classifieds site Craigslist and on the site of the real estate agency Barnes.

This news raises questions not only about the value of this property, but also about the real intentions of Gabon's transitional president, just days before the referendum. Although the sale is recent, it could provoke a strong public reaction, especially now that Oligui-Nguema is Gabon's transitional president, and draw attention to the financial practices of Gabonese elites.

Suspicious purchase under investigation for corruption

The Silver Spring home is one of three properties Oligui-Nguema has acquired in the Washington, D.C. area. Purchased in 2018 for $447,000, the all-cash transaction quickly raised suspicions among international investigators , who saw it as a potential money laundering scheme. Like many other properties acquired by the Bongo clan and their close associates, the property has been highlighted for its lack of transparency and the doubts surrounding its financing.

Today, the sale of this house seems to be a hasty move, at a politically delicate moment. Indeed, while Gabon is under the transitional presidency of Oligui-Nguema, Oligui-Nguema has not made a declaration of assets, as required by the Transition Charter adopted in an attempt to restore the people's trust in their leaders. This lack of transparency becomes particularly problematic when we observe the large capital gain hoped for on this sale, the amount being more than double what he had initially paid.

Why just before the referendum?

Is this a contingency plan? This sale just days before the constitutional referendum raises questions. Why now? Is it a mere coincidence of timing or a precursor to a contingency plan in case of political slippage? Many Gabonese are wondering: is this a signal that the transition could fail, that the results of the vote could be contested or that the situation could deteriorate to the point of requiring a pre-planned escape? This maneuver recalls the behavior of "rats jumping ship" — a phrase often used to describe those who prefer to slip away before a shipwreck.

Questions of public morality

The timing of this sale does not go unnoticed, and anger is rising in a country where inequality and economic problems are commonplace. A house bought in cash, a resale at a high price, without the slightest declaration of assets... Such acts only widen the gap between the government and the people, especially when the latter claim to work for greater transparency and a healthy political transition.