The Mouvement pour la Grandeur du Gabon (MGG), led by its President Christian Mermance N’nang Nsome, has issued a strong call for the unconditional release of Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nzé, Chairman of the opposition coalition Ensemble Pour le Gabon (EPG), currently detained at the Prison Centrale de Libreville.
In a statement released this week, the MGG framed its demand within the broader context of safeguarding Gabon’s democratic achievements, which have come at a high cost for the nation’s 102 registered political parties—some of which now face dissolution under the country’s latest political party legislation, according to the movement.
Justice Must Prevail, Not Politics
Christian Mermance N’nang Nsome emphasized that his appeal is not about defending an individual, but about upholding the principles of justice and accountability that Gabonese civil society, the media, and political actors have long demanded. He drew a parallel between his own seven-month detention—during which he suffered severe personal and financial losses—and the current plight of Bilie-By-Nzé, who faces allegations of fraud involving five million CFA francs.
“I am not here to defend a person. I am here to demand what the Gabonese people, the media, and civil society expected of our leaders when I was unlawfully imprisoned for nearly seven months,” he stated, rejecting any label that would reduce his stance to blind allegiance.
A Call for Judicial Independence
The MGG President urged Gabonese judges to rise above political pressures and render a verdict based solely on the law, as they did in his own case. He recalled the physical and emotional toll his detention took on his health and personal life, questioning the morality of those who wield power without remorse.
“The damage done to me and my loved ones is irreversible. Yet, it seems those in power feel entitled to decide the fate of others without consequence. I refuse to remain silent and become complicit in this cycle of injustice.”
Mermance N’nang Nsome acknowledged the risks of speaking out in Gabon’s current political climate, where free expression is increasingly equated with public disorder. “Yesterday, it was me. Today, it is Bilie-By-Nzé. Who will be next?” he warned, underscoring the urgency of the moment.
