Relationship dossier
Gabon
United States
Relationship assessment
Security and conservation cooperation alongside US restrictions following Gabon's 2023 coup
Gabon toward United States
+10Gabon has cooperated with US security efforts, including by allowing a US military deployment to Gabon in 2013 as part of contingency planning related to the crisis in the Central African Republic.
United States toward Gabon
0The United States has provided development and conservation support to Gabon. After the 2023 coup, it restricted some assistance and suspended Gabon's AGOA trade benefits.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship combines practical cooperation, including security and conservation engagement, with US aid and trade restrictions following the 2023 coup. The cooperation is meaningful but the post-coup restrictions add strain.
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 States have cooperated on security and conservation, alongside US development and trade engagement. Relations became more strained after Gabon's 2023 coup: the United States restricted assistance and suspended Gabon's eligibility for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Areas of tension
- US restrictions on assistance and AGOA trade benefits following Gabon's 2023 coup
Key developments
The United States deployed military personnel to Gabon as part of contingency planning related to the crisis in the Central African Republic.
Following Gabon's coup, the United States restricted some assistance and suspended the country's AGOA trade benefits.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and continuity of Gabonese-US security cooperation are unclear.
- The extent to which US assistance and trade restrictions have changed since the 2023 coup is unclear.