In Gabon’s capital, filling up with diesel has become daily struggle

By Joel Kouam

In Libreville, filling up with diesel has become a real struggle. Since the end of September, queues have been growing outside service stations across the Gabonese capital. Customers wait in long lines, jerrycans in hand, hoping to get the much-needed fuel.

“We have been without diesel for more than three days, so diesel-powered vehicles are facing serious problems,” one motorist told Africanews. “It’s the same across Greater Libreville since yesterday — Ntoum, Akanda, Greater Libreville as a whole.”

Fuel is being rationed, with a limit of 10,000 CFA francs per person.

“I’ve been here since 4 a.m.,” says taxi driver Vianey Ndoumou. “They first told me there was fuel behind the prison, so I left here and went there. As soon as I arrived, I was told it had already run out. So I had to come back and queue here again because they told me they haven’t received a delivery here for two days, but that it was supposed to arrive this evening.”

At service stations, managers and employees are on the front line, facing motorists demanding answers.

The question now is where the problem lies.

In a statement issued last week, the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas acknowledged a temporary supply disruption affecting service stations in the capital, Libreville.

But forecourt manager Regis Mavoungou says supply isn’t the issue:

“We don’t have a supply problem. There is no problem, although this happens repeatedly and frequently in this sector. So, when you order 20,000 litres, you don’t receive 20,000 — you get 15,000 litres, and sometimes that throws off our sales and calculations.”

The shortage is linked to declining stocks at SOGARA, the national refinery, as well as difficulties transporting refined fuel due to the maritime crisis.

A tanker carrying a new shipment was announced with supplies due to return to normal by Monday, but it’s now petrol that has become scarce. And the long queues are far from over.