Libreville, Gabon — 9 March 2026 The publication of a list of debtors from the Gabonese electricity and water company, the Société d’énergie et d’eau du Gabon (SEEG), has sparked controversy in Gabon.
The list, which was released on 6 March, includes 2,676 debtors but anonymizes a portion of their identities. This lack of transparency has been criticized during a recent seminar organized by the ruling Union démocratique des bâtisseurs (UDB), the Gabonese Press Agency reported.
Officials commented on the matter. “
Our surprise is great to see that in this list, 250 people are identified only by their first names.”He further suggested that this was an attempt to hide information from the Gabonese public.
The controversy follows a massive campaign by SEEG to collect outstanding debts, which totals over 97 billion Central African francs.
The campaign involves the publication of the debtors’list across the country from 9 March to 31 March 2026. This issue of transparency in the list’s publication has drawn the attention of the public and political figures alike.
Critics argue that the anonymization of certain individuals’identities could obscure the true extent of the debt problem and hinder accountability.
Further details regarding the response from the government and the potential implications of this controversy are expected in the coming days.
