The Indigenous World 2026: Gabon

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Gabon

Gabon's total population is estimated at 2,621,850. The percentage of Indigenous Peoples in Gabon is thought to be less than 1% of the national population, or between 18,000 and 20,000 people.^[1] This estimate will become clearer with the final report of the general population census that is currently ongoing.

Indigenous Peoples are mainly hunter-gatherer communities comprising nine ethnic groups (Baka, Babongo, Bakoya, Baghame, Barimba, Akowa, Bakouyi) with different languages, cultures and geographical locations. They live both in the towns and in the forest. Their livelihoods and their cultures are inextricably linked to the forest, however, which covers 85% of Gabon. Gabon's Indigenous Peoples continue to live in precarious poverty. There is no recent specific data on this population, and it would be good to see Gabon make greater efforts to obtain reliable statistics on its Indigenous Peoples.

Gabonese legislation does not recognize the concept of “Indigenous Peoples” but certain texts do provide for the concept of “Indigenous and village communities”. These benefit from customary rights, particularly in land and forestry matters.

Articles 1 and 35 of the Constitution^[2] of the Gabonese Republic, adopted by referendum on 16 November 2024, specify that: “The Gabonese Republic upholds the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction of origin, race, ethnic group, sex, opinion, religion, beliefs or rites.” “Protecting young people from exploitation and from moral, intellectual and physical abandonment is an obligation of the State and other public authorities.” It explicitly recognizes and protects^[3] social groups, notably children, the elderly and people with disabilities but it makes no mention of Gabon's Indigenous Pygmy peoples. Article 152 specifies that representatives of the peoples, appointed by their peers, may sit on the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council.

The Gabonese Republic has ratified several international treaties and conventions protecting various aspects of Indigenous Peoples' rights, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The country has still not adopted ILO Convention 169, however.

The 2018-2025 Strategy for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (PACL) of Central Africa, which is coordinated by the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC) via the Central African Indigenous Peoples Network (REPALEAC), aims to incorporate the traditional knowledge and needs of Indigenous Peoples into sustainable forest management. The four themes are: land, natural resources, economic development and living conditions, plus a cross-cutting theme on representation aimed at harmonizing national and regional policies that address climate change and biodiversity by strengthening their effective participation.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Good policies, programmes and practices

The substantive and procedural rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are increasingly being recognized in international legal instruments relating to the environment and trade. In the context of the Congo Basin, ^[4] however, there is a significant lag in their practical implementation. Despite the existence of numerous international commitments enshrining these rights, their transposition into national and local practices remains incomplete. Significant progress has been made in terms of participation and consultation, thanks to the impetus provided by civil society organizations, which keep a strategic watch on the forestry sector.

This progress also depends on formal forest management systems, which affect the day-to-day exercise of customary access and use rights. However, results remain mixed when it comes to securing land rights and the effective transfer of collective ownership. These shortcomings are largely due to poor application of existing legal frameworks. Moreover, the recognition of differentiated rights for Indigenous groups raises questions as to their legitimacy, in a context where the notion of “indigeneity” remains subject to legal and societal controversy. Improving the way forest peoples' rights are taken into account requires complementarity between national legal standards and transnational initiatives, in a context marked by a weak rule of law.

Generally speaking, Gabon applies the World Bank's guidelines on Indigenous Peoples (OP 4.10, the framework for social and environmental management) but there is no specific legal text on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

On 09 August every year, the world celebrates International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. This is an opportunity to recall their fundamental role in preserving the world's biodiversity, particularly in rich and strategic regions such as the Congo Basin. On this occasion, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, in line with the priorities of the Franco-Gabonese Co-Facilitation roadmap. In its 2023-2025 roadmap, the Franco-Gabonese Co-Facilitation of the CBFP places Indigenous Peoples at the heart of its priorities, namely:

• Dialogue and scientific cooperation: promoting participatory research that incorporates the knowledge of Indigenous communities for sustainable forest management.
• Regional planning and sustainable value chains: supporting inclusive management of forest areas that respects the customary rights and economic needs of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• Innovative financing: developing financial mechanisms that directly benefit local communities and strengthen their capacities.
• Visibility and international advocacy: enhancing the voice of Indigenous Peoples and local communities on the international stage to ensure better recognition of their rights.
• Synergies and partnerships: strengthening dialogue with Indigenous networks and building lasting alliances with other partners committed to protecting forests and the people who live in them.

Forest, biodiversity, conservation, and Indigenous Peoples

From 10-15 March 2025, a planning workshop was held in Douala, Republic of Cameroon, for the Network of Indigenous and Local Populations for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa (REPALEAC). The general objective of the workshop was to carry out the annual planning of REPALEAC's activities. The aim was to report on the achievements of REPALEAC’s delegates to the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties (COP 29) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The aim was to draw up REPALEAC's action plan for 2025, submit and validate REPALEAC's strategic framework evaluation reports, and analyse projects focusing on land tenure for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. During the meeting, the operational plan^[5] for REPALEAC 2025 was validated by the participants, bearing in mind the priorities of the national networks from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad, Rwanda, Cental African Republic (CAR) and Burundi for that year.

In June 2025, the Three Forest Basins Congress in Brazzaville resulted in an alliance of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Indigenous Peoples and local communities from the world's tropical forest basins, ^[6] including the Amazon, Congo, Borneo-Mekong-Papua and Mesoamerica, concluded their first ever World Congress with a concrete and urgent call for protection, recognition and respect, as well as direct and ambitious financial commitments. These regions are described as the lungs of the planet, home to more than two-thirds of the world's remaining tropical forests, and they are essential carbon sinks in the fight against climate change. They are also home to immense biodiversity and provide vital ecosystems for hundreds of millions of people. The Congress resulted in a joint declaration calling for urgent global action to protect the land rights and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, to safeguard their free, prior and informed consent, and to guarantee direct access to funding.

The Congress resulted in a collective document outlining the priorities, demands and commitments of these communities in response to the escalating climate and biodiversity crises. This declaration urgently calls for legal recognition and protection of Indigenous territories, direct funding for Indigenous communities and full participation in environmental and climate governance. The main outcomes of the final declaration were: recognition and protection of territories; an end to criminalization and violence; full and effective participation; direct and transparent funding; a moratorium on destructive activities; and a call for global action for the 2025 UNFCCC COP 30.

On 11 and 21 November 2025, in Libreville, in partnership with the Gabonese Ministry of Water and Forests (responsible for human/wildlife conflicts), the NGO Space for Giants and other local NGOs, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) organized a workshop^[7] on human-elephant conflict to strengthen national community awareness, taking into account the concerns of local communities and Indigenous Peoples. The workshop was part of the preparations for the national campaign to raise awareness of human-elephant coexistence in Gabon. The workshop forms part of a project funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (Cafi) aimed at supporting peaceful and sustainable cohabitation between human populations and forest elephants.

The Africa 2025 Regional Assembly on Areas and Heritage Conserved by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (APAC)^[8] brought together member organizations, coordinators, advisors, country focal points and honorary members from the following five regions: North Africa, West Africa, Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands, East and Horn of Africa, and Central Africa. Some 60 participants took part in the event, which marked a major turning point in the strengthening of the APAC-Living Territories movement in Africa. Pursuing the objective of a strong and sustained commitment to Indigenous communities as guardians of biodiversity, this meeting focused on four key themes: building a common understanding of the Consortium, its values and its mission; reflecting on the key perspectives for the region with regard to the process of organizational change; formulating a strategy for greater cohesion within the mega-region; and developing a concerted regional action plan.

Gabon's review by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)

CERD examined Gabon's report under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). During the dialogue between the Committee's expert members and the Gabonese delegation that had come to support the report, one expert congratulated Gabon on the significant development of a relevant legal and institutional framework since the previous review in 1998. The expert noted, however, that the Gabonese Constitution of 2024 did not contain all the grounds for discrimination provided for in the Convention, such as skin colour, national origin and descent. The expert also reported that the country's human rights and environmental defenders, including women, farmers and Indigenous Peoples fighting deforestation, were highly vulnerable to abuse and reprisals. According to available information, entire villages populated by Indigenous communities have been displaced, without prior consent, for mining projects in Bakoumba, and relocated to undesirable and polluted areas. The same expert stressed that State sovereignty must be exercised for the benefit of the entire population, including Indigenous Peoples. She asked what special or affirmative action was envisaged to combat inequalities and multiple forms of discrimination against ethnic minorities and Indigenous Peoples, and to ensure that these groups can effectively enjoy their rights throughout Gabon. Another expert expressed the Committee's concern at the general lack of disaggregated data, including on ethnicity or origin, which is necessary for monitoring human rights progress in Gabon and informing policy-making.

Davy POUATY NZEMBIALELA has been President of ADACO since February 2016. He holds a degree in English, a diploma in business management and a certificate in diplomacy. He is studying for a professional Master's degree in law at the Université Omar Bongo in Gabon. This is his third article for The Indigenous World 2026. E-mail contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] CIA World Fact Book. “Gabon”. Updated 6 February 2024. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/gabon/

^[2] Official Journal of the Gabonese Republic of 21 October 2024.

^[3] Article 30: “The State guarantees equal access of children and adults to education, vocational training and culture.” Article 36: “The State guarantees all citizens equal access to public jobs and services, regardless of gender, ethnicity, political affiliation, religion or ideology. The State guarantees people living with disabilities equal access to jobs and public services.” Article 37: “The State guarantees health protection, social protection, a preserved natural environment, rest and leisure for all, especially children, mothers, people living with disabilities, pensioners and the elderly.”

^[4] Congo Basin Forest Partnership (PFBC) and Central Africa Forests Commission (COMIFAC). Mise en œuvre des conventions internationales sur l’environnement et les forêts en Afrique centrale: État des Forêts du bassin du Congo 2025 (brochure de synthèse). Bogor, Indonesia, and Nairobi, Kenya: CIFOR-ICRAF, 2025.

 https://www.cifor-icraf.org/fr/ressources/publication/45796/

^[5] Caritas Congo Asbl. “Le Réseau des Populations Autochtones et Locales pour la gestion durable des écosystèmes forestiers d’Afrique Centrale (REPALEAC) a validé son plan opérationnel pour l’année 2025.” 7 April 2025 https://caritasdev.cd/le-reseau-des-populations-autochtones-et-locales-pour-la-gestion-durable-des-ecosystemes-forestiers-dafrique-centrale-repaleac-a-valide-son-plan-operationnel-pour-lannee-2025/

^[6] Greenpeace Afrique. “Congrès inédit à Brazzaville: les 3 bassins forestiers aboutissent à une alliance des peuples autochtones et des communautés locales.” Communiqué de presse, 28 August 2025 https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/fr/communiques-de-presse/57722/congres-inedit-a-brazzaville-les-3-bassins-forestiers-aboutissent-a-une-alliance-des-peuples-autochtones-et-des-communautes-locales/

^[7] Gabonreview. “Gabon: validation des lignes directrices pour une campagne sur le conflit homme-éléphant.” 21 November 2024. https://www.gabonreview.com/gestion-du-conflit-homme-elephant-atelier-a-libreville-pour-renforcer-la-sensibilisation-communautaire; Gabonreview. “Gabon: validation des lignes directrices pour une campagne sur le conflit homme-éléphant.” 21 November 2025. https://www.gabonreview.com/gabon-validation-des-lignes-directrices-pour-une-campagne-sur-le-conflit-homme-elephant

^[8] ICCA Consortium. “Quatrième Assemblée régionale en Afrique: appropriation collective pour une mégarégion résiliente et solidaire.” 30 June 2025. https://www.iccaconsortium.org/fr/2025/06/30/quatrieme-assemblee-regionale-afrique/

Tags: Global governance