(Business in Cameroon) - Gabon’s government officialized the abolition of visa required to travel to Gabon, for a period no longer than 3 months, for nationals of the member-States of the Central African Economic and Monetary zone. This was officialized in a circular sent to officers of the defense and security forces in Gabon, on October, 19, 2017, by the country’s officials.

Consequently, any citizen of the Cemac zone, who holds a passport valid for at least three months, can officially travel in or out of Gabon, freely. This, in accordance with the additional act of Cemac adopted “on June 25, 2013, about visa abolition for Cemac residents traveling within the community area”. This act could not be implemented till now.

However, the circular mentions that “Gabon's government reserves the right to deny the entry to people who did not respect the standard staying period, and, to people they think could threaten public order, national security or public health”.  

Gabon thus becomes the 3rd country to officialize free movements in Cemac zone only some months after the first two which are Chad and the Central African Republic (free movements was already effective in Congo and in Cameroon). This measure will surely boost the much-desired process of free movements, in the Cemac zone as, Gabon was considered as one of the key roadblocks to the process, along with Equatorial Guinea.

By the way, on September 28, in Douala, to force Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to implement the act of free movement, during the meeting of the steering committee of economic and financial reforms program of Cemac (Comité de pilotage du programme des réformes économiques et financières de la Cemac; Pref-Cemac) the committee projected some  sanctions. Now, only the country of Obiang Nguema remains under its radar.

Brice R. Mbodiam