Relationship dossier
Gabon
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Commonwealth ties and limited cooperation, alongside UK criticism of Gabon's 2023 coup
Gabon toward United Kingdom
+10Gabon joined the Commonwealth in 2022, expanding its institutional engagement with the United Kingdom and other member states. The breadth of Gabon's direct government cooperation with the UK is unclear.
United Kingdom toward Gabon
+10The UK supported Gabon's accession to the Commonwealth in 2022. After the 2023 coup, the UK condemned the military takeover and called for a return to constitutional order.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship combines Commonwealth engagement, including Gabon's accession in 2022 with UK support, with political friction following the 2023 coup and the UK's condemnation. The breadth and durability of direct bilateral cooperation are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Gabon and the United Kingdom have developed a modest relationship that includes Gabon's 2022 accession to the Commonwealth, which the UK supported. Relations also faced friction after Gabon's 2023 coup, which the UK condemned while calling for a return to constitutional order. The scope of practical bilateral cooperation beyond these developments is unclear.
Areas of tension
- The UK condemned Gabon's 2023 coup and called for a return to constitutional order.
Key developments
Gabon joined the Commonwealth, with support from the United Kingdom.
Following Gabon's coup, the UK condemned the military takeover and called for a return to constitutional order.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of UK support for Gabon's Commonwealth accession and related bilateral cooperation is unclear.
- The scope and status of practical cooperation following Gabon's 2023 coup are unclear.