Gabon Independence Day is observed annually on the 17th of August. This day honours the country’s independence in 1960. It is a national holiday in Gabon and is celebrated in a variety of ways including parades, concerts and fireworks. The events of Gabon Independence Day are a colourful and vibrant mix of traditional and modern culture.
Parades feature marching bands, floats, and traditional dancers. Concerts feature a variety of musical genres, from traditional Gabonese music to international pop music.
Gabon Independence Day is a day for all Gabonese people to come together and celebrate their country. It is a day to be proud of their heritage and to look forward to the future.
The Commonwealth Chambers of Commerce mentions: “This holiday is widely celebrated throughout the country and festivities usually last for two days. Celebrations comprise official speeches, parades, drum shows, traditional dance and fireworks at La Place de Fetes. Friends and family gather together to enjoy traditional food such as nyembwe, fufu and atanga with bread.”
Happy Independence Day! #Gabon 🇬🇦 pic.twitter.com/NqePaB89ZZ
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN)
August 17, 2020
What Is the History of Gabon Independence Day?
The history of Gabon’s independence is a long and complex one. The first French contact with Gabon came in the early 19th century.
In 1839, Captain Édouard Bouët-Willaumez negotiated treaties with the heads of two Mpongwe clans, King Denis and King Louis, in which they agreed to end the slave trade and to accept French sovereignty over their lands. The French gradually extended their control over the coast, and in 1849 they founded the town of Libreville.
In the late 19th century, the French began to explore the interior of Gabon. The expeditions of Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza between 1875 and 1885 established French authority on the upper Ogooué River and on the Loango coast. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four colonies within the federation of French Equatorial Africa.
Britannica mentions: “During the 1850s and ’60s the French gradually extended their control along the adjacent coast and sent explorers into the interior. The expeditions of Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza between 1875 and 1885 established French authority on the upper Ogooué, where Franceville was founded in 1880, and on the Loango coast.”
“An enlarged Gabon was attached to the French Congo in 1886 under Brazza as governor. In 1910 Gabon became one of the four colonies within the federation of French Equatorial Africa,” it adds.
The French occupation of Gabon brought some resistance from the local people. However, the main opposition to French rule came from the pro-French but anticolonialist elite that was created in the period between the two world wars.
This elite came mainly from the graduates of the boys’ schools of the Brothers of Saint-Gabriel at Libreville and Lambaréné. During the Fourth French Republic (1946-58), Gabon became an overseas territory with its own assembly and representation in the French Parliament.
France also considerably expanded public investment in the economy, health care, and education. In 1958, Gabon became an autonomous republic within the French Community. After concluding cooperation agreements with France, Gabon achieved independence on August 17, 1960.
To conclude, Gabon Independence Day is a day of great significance for the Gabonese people. It is a day to celebrate their freedom and unity and to reflect on the country’s past and look forward to its future.
The history of Gabon Independence Day is a story of perseverance and determination. The Gabonese people have overcome many challenges in their quest for independence, and they have built a strong and prosperous country.
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Source: tiengtrunghaato.edu.vn