Gabon: news site 241 faces suspension by the high authority of communication

The Haute Autorité de la communication (HAC) in Gabon has issued a decisive ruling, suspending the news website Info 241. This action follows the publication of a controversial article titled: « Lanlaire balances on Oligui: 150 000 € offered, compromising videos, bisexuality, 20 billion squandered… ».

The individual at the center of the exposé, known as Lanlaire, is Anges Landry Mbeng, a Gabonese influencer currently residing in France. The article in question made serious allegations regarding the President of the Republic.

The HAC justifies its decision by stating that the Info 241 article contained “injurious, scandalous, and exceptionally virulent remarks concerning the person of the President of the Republic and his family.” The regulatory body asserts that the media outlet failed to comply with legal provisions, leading to its indefinite suspension.

In response, Info 241 issued its own statement, accusing the HAC of acting impulsively and making “yet another rash decision” without thoroughly reviewing the controversial article itself.

The incident has ignited extensive public debate across Gabon. Numerous supporters of President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema have publicly called for legal proceedings to be initiated against Lanlaire and any individuals deemed complicit in the publication of the article.