According to a press release published on March 6, 2026 on its website, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the end of one of its missions in Gabon. The international financial institution reported that after a 10-day visit dedicated to examining the economic and financial situation in Gabon, the mission led by Aliona Cebotari prescribed “continuing the ongoing reforms aimed at improving public financial management, good governance, the business climate, and the fight against corruption.”
The IMF mission emphasized “the crucial importance of implementing prudent budgetary and financial policies to preserve macroeconomic stability in Gabon and the region.”
On the Gabonese side, there is confidence. All authorities, based on the “encouraging conclusions” of the IMF mission, believe that there is no obstacle to a new economic and financial agreement with the Bretton Woods institution by May, after three years of suspension. This program, deemed “a strategic necessity” by the Gabonese government, should help strengthen the country’s credibility with its financial partners. It should also support the implementation of the national economic transformation program.
The end of the IMF mission does not mean the end of discussions with Gabon. The Cebotari mission indicates that discussions will continue during the Spring meetings of the institution in April 2026.
As a reminder, Gabon’s last agreement with the IMF, approved in August 2021 under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), was suspended after the failure of its third review due to difficulties in implementation. Discussions were resumed in 2025 between Libreville and the financial institution. These discussions were suspended by the Gabonese side. The government intended to review the basis of cooperation to better adapt it to national economic realities. In this spirit, the former Gabonese Minister of Economy, Henri-Claude Oyima, advocated for a change in approach, stating that Gabon had already concluded 17 programs with the IMF without any significant impact on the country’s economic growth.
